An international project involving
50 students and teachers from four Higher Technical Institutes
(ITS) in Italy, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia aims
to develop sustainable furniture systems. This initiative is
part of the Erasmus+ program, with ITS Academy Udine as the lead
institution, supported by ENAIP FVG.
Launched online on December 16, 2024, the project has now
entered its in-person phasE. A workshop will run from February
17 to 21, starting in Italy and continuing in the other
countries.
At the presentation today in Udine, local Councilor for
Education, University, and Culture Federico Pirone, the head of
Innovation in Furniture Design at ITS Academy Udine, Laura
Squeraroli, and representatives from Kauno Kolegija (Lithuania),
Volyn Higher Vocational School (Czech Republic), and Lesarska
Šola Maribor (Slovenia) were in attendance.
The next steps include prototyping the project in Maribor,
Slovenia, from March 10 to 14, 2025, using traditional, digital,
and additive technologies. The final phase, focusing on the
development of the communication strategy, will take place in
Kaunas, Lithuania, from May 12 to 16, 2025.
"The challenge for Udine is to become an increasingly
attractive hub for education and work, where innovation and
internationalization play a key role in the growth of young
people," said Councilor Pirone. "Today's event also marks the
opening of the new ITS Academy headquarters in the renovated
Dormisch brewery, thanks to the commitment of the Danieli
Group."
Squeraroli emphasized the project's importance for young
design professionals. "The project, supported by companies in
the sector and national wood-furniture clusters," she said,
"will engage students in a design process based on design
thinking."
Sustainability will be a key element, with products designed
considering their entire lifecycle from a circular economy
perspective. The six-month design process will include research
phases, stakeholder interviews, needs analysis, brainstorming,
and prototyping.
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