At a time of rapid supply chain reengineering, growing sustainability demands, and accelerating digital transformation, UITIC 2025 offered a unique forum for knowledge exchange and forward-looking solutions. One of the highlights came on 3 September, during the “Successful Industrial Stories” session, when Cristina Vasconcelos, co-owner of Portuguese leather goods company Belcinto (Vasconcelos & Cª), shared how an innovative training model from the leather goods sector is now making waves in footwear.

Her presentation, “Learning Factories: Lessons Learnt from the Leather Goods Sector,” introduced the Erasmus+ Learning Factories project, an initiative led by Belcinto that puts small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the centre of workforce development. By working hand-in-hand with vocational education providers, SMEs are empowered to design and adapt their own training programmes to match their real-world needs, a people-first approach that aligns perfectly with the congress theme.

Cristina outlined how this model transforms vision into practical tools, including:

• Four open-source agile curricula on digital and green skills with accompanying learning materials
• A training needs scanning tool that provides personalised training paths

• An AI assistant delivering real-time tailored resources (videos, guides, presentations) to address workplace challenges

More than a training initiative, the project supports the green and digital transition, strengthens competitiveness, and helps traditional industries attract and retain talent. While rooted in the leather goods sector, it has strong potential to be adapted to footwear, proving its value far beyond its original scope.

As UITIC 2025 showed, the future of competitiveness is not just about adopting new technologies but about empowering people to use them effectively. Belcinto’s Learning Factories project is proof that innovation in training is as vital as innovation in manufacturing, ensuring that skills, creativity, and adaptability remain at the heart of the industry’s sustainable future.

The Learning Factories project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.