Project News & Insights.

On 22 April, the ICARUS Erasmus Project officially launched, bringing together a multidisciplinary European consortium committed to advancing sustainable skills for adhesive technologies in engineering, specialist, and bonder training.

The project marks the beginning of an ambitious three-year journey supported by the Erasmus+ Programme. During the kick-off meeting, project partners gathered online to establish the foundations for collaboration, define priorities, and set the roadmap for the development of innovative training solutions focused on sustainability in adhesive bonding technologies.

Transforming Adhesive Bonding Qualifications

The ICARUS Project aims to revolutionize the industrial bonding sector by integrating sustainability-driven competencies into European professional qualifications for European Adhesive Bonders (EAB), European Adhesive Specialists (EAS), and European Adhesive Engineers (EAE). Through the incorporation of eco-design principles, circular economy concepts, and green manufacturing practices, the project will support the transition towards a more sustainable industrial future.

A Strong European Partnership

The consortium brings together leading organizations from across Europe, combining expertise in vocational education and training, research, industrial innovation, and qualification development.

Coordinated by Universidade do Porto (Portugal), the partnership includes CESOL SOLDADURA (Spain), OFI Österreichisches Forschungsinstitut für Chemie und Technik (Austria), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Germany), IIS – Istituto Italiano della Saldatura (Italy), European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) (Belgium), and Institut za varilstvo d.o.o. (Slovenia).

Together, these partners will drive the development of modern, sustainability-oriented training frameworks, helping to prepare the next generation of professionals for the challenges and opportunities of a greener European industry.