Introduction
Climate change is one of the greatest existential threats to life on earth; this presents a considerable challenge to humanity and generations to come. Under this global threat, the EU aims to be the first climate-neutral continent on Earth (EU green deal). To achieve this goal, changes in industry and education need to transpire. To reach our climate targets, we must further educate, reskill the workforce and build green skills, especially into education. We must address climate change as a complex societal challenge intertwining multidisciplinary knowledge and actionable skills. Green solutions need to play a more prominent role in the European education system. This requires cross-sectional upskilling pathways towards the field of bio-based solutions.
For this reason, the project focuses on the transfer of knowledge between biomaterials and Biodesign research institutes and design education institutions; and on the creation of innovation methods and tools to create awareness and support for schools, students and families to experiment using and creating with Biomaterials in their learning pathways.
For this purpose, Biomaterials and Biodesign green solutions hidden away in university labs need to reach a broader audience. This knowledge and methods can be reconstructed into actionable methods for the “Young learner/maker”. To accomplish this, motivation for green action must go hand in hand with skills that allow us to take action, tools that make actions possible and last but most importantly – Creativity!
The BiomaterialKIT – is a practical and pedagogical experiment for a more sustainable consumption. The aim is to explore different contexts associated with the school and introduce:
[1] better behaviors in consumer decision-making,
[2] awareness of individual and collective responsibility in the environmental impact,
[3] training for innovation through better use of biomaterials and their reintegration into the circular economic cycle, to enhance and slow down the climate change effects.
CONSORTIUM:
Consortium Leader
Portimão Municipality: Is the responsible for supporting the development of the project inPortugal. Through your support it will be possible to reach a greater number of students, through local public schools (Bemposta cluster), and also involving a greater number of students through the remaining 4 groups of cluster schools of the municipality. It will support the organisation and logistics with ISMAT and support/monitoring the activities developed. Will be responsible for monitoring activities and as a lead project, ensuring organisation and implementation of the proposal. The municipality will be represented by 3 people. The Madam President who leads the Project. The second person will be the European project manager and representative of the municipality. The third person will be the municipal technician representing the Environment Division, a biologist, which will be an asset in the project and who will connect the project with the municipal schools.
Co-Applicants
Co-applicant – Bayrakli Municipality
Bayraklı Municipality: Is the main responsible institution in Turkey. They will reach the target groups, organise the logistics with the Economy University and organise the training. The municipality will also be responsible for monitoring. The municipality will be also responsible, reaching the target groups of and organising training. The municipality will be represented by 3 people. One of them will be project coordinator, who is experienced in European Union projects; the second person will be the vice project coordinator and the third person will be the Municipality Accountant responsible for financial documents.
Co-applicant – ISMAT University
The porject team is experienced, specifically in this area of education in Biodesign, biomaterials and biofabrication, Lusófona, through its Design research team at ISMAT Portimão, is the coordinating entity of two projects with European funding has COCOON – Co-Creating greener futures (Looking Forward) This experience is supported by a network of partnerships with relevant entities such as AALTO U. of Finland, the IAAC of Barcelona, the Faculty of Sciences of the U.Porto and FABLAB Reykavijk in Iceland.
he COFAC Team: IR – Susana Leonor. researchers Américo Mateus, Carla Paoliello, David Palma and Gabriel Patrocinio.
Co-applicant – IZMIR Economics University
IUE Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, which was established in 2004, embodies various design disciplines working in harmony and integration with each other. Our Faculty contains five departments; Departments of Fashion and Textile Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture and Environmental Design.
Faculty of Fine Arts and Design aims to train young designers who are creative, solution providers, environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and who target national and global design. Also, our programs shape the students into forming their own personal design identities as they help to develop design vision of the students. The distinction of Faculty of Fine Arts and Design is based on being seized as an interdisciplinary field that includes various areas of expertise such as the economics of design, art, technology, culture, communication, and management; the theory of design being an
autonomous academic field within itself, and allowing development of education programs intended for various areas of expertise.
IUE Team – researchers Deniz Deniz and Derya Irkdaş, Onur Mengi.