In a rapidly evolving industrial landscape, vocational training must keep pace. Virtual Learning Factories (VLFs) offer a transformative solution, immersive, scalable, and tailored to the needs of Industry 5.0. The VLF4EU project is pioneering this shift by uniting 13 partners across Europe to co-develop an ecosystem of virtual training platforms designed for the green and digital transition.
1. What are Virtual Learning Factories?
VLFs represent the evolution of traditional training labs toward a fully immersive, digital and flexible learning ecosystem. They simulate real industrial environments using extended reality (XR), digital twins, and interactive 3D environments, enabling learners to engage in hands-on training scenarios without the constraints of physical space, time, or equipment.
The idea stems from the learning factory approach, originally developed to bring action-based learning into technical and engineering education. These were typically physical spaces replicating a manufacturing line or industrial process. However, physical setups come with limitations: high costs, fixed locations, and limited scalability. VLFs overcome these barriers by:
- virtualising complex production systems;
- using digital twins for real-time feedback and predictive decision-making;
- adapting learning experiences with gamification and performance tracking
More than just a technical tool, a VLF is a pedagogical shift: it turns the learner into an active agent immersed in real-world tasks and problem-solving, particularly powerful when combined with competence-based education and microcredentialing.
2. Why now? The urgency of the twin transition
The twin transition is not a future challenge. It’s happening now and it’s redefining how industries operate, what skills they require, and how education systems must respond. The manufacturing sector is being reshaped by automation, sustainable production, and the growing need for workers to interact with smart systems and interpret data. At the same time, Europe faces:
- shortage of digital skills;
- low adult participation in upskilling;
- uneven training access, especially for SMEs.
VLFs offer a solution by:
- enabling skill updates aligned with industry trends;
- supporting green process design through simulation;
- faciulitating remote and hybrid learning;
- bridging education with industry innovation.
They provide the infrastructure to make VET (Vocational Education and Training) a driver of competitiveness and sustainability, not a bottleneck.
3. The VLF4EU Alliance: a collaborative response
While many initiatives in Europe focus on upgrading technical education, VLF4EU stands out for its systemic and transnational approach. Rather than developing isolated solutions, the project aims to create a shared European model for virtual learning factories, rooted in cooperation, interoperability, and adaptability.
The alliance brings together 13 partners from 6 countries (including VET providers, higher education institutions, technology companies, industrial associations and clusters), covering the full spectrum of the “knowledge triangle”: education, innovation, and business.
What is VLF4EU doing concretely?
- Co-designing the definition of a VLFs not just technologically, but pedagogically and operationally;
- developing a modular toolkit that other VET centres can adopt to implement their own VLFs;
- building an open, immersive platform where students and teachers can co-create, simulate and validate training modules;
- developing EQF (European Qualifications Framework) 4-7 microcredentials aligned with real industrial challenges;
- fostering smart partnerships with SMEs to enable real-world use cases and open innovation.
The goal is to make VLFs not a pilot or experiment, but an integral part of the way vocational training is conceived and delivered across Europe.
During the project’s transnational meeting in Rouen (June 2025), hosted by CESI, this vision began to take shape through hands-on demonstrations of XR applications and digital twins, as well as intense discussions among partners about shared standards, learner profiles and pedagogical goals.
4. Empowering learners and SMEs
Virtual Learning Factories don’t just modernise vocational training; they also reshape who can access it, how, and with what impact.
For learners, especially those in technical pathways, VLFs offer:
- realistic, interactive simulations of complex industrial processes;
- flexibility in time and location (remote or hybrid learning);
- personalised learning journeys that adapt to prior knowledge and learning styles;
- safe environments to make mistakes, experiment and reflect.
This aligns with the universal design principles promoted by the project, which aim to ensure learning is inclusive and responsive to diverse needs.
For SMEs, which often lack time and infrastructure for in-house training, VLFs are:
- a bridge to applied innovation, allowing teams to test new ideas or processes virtually before deploying them;
- a scalable tool for onboarding or reskilling staff on specific technologies;
- a way to connect with VET centres in co-developing sector-specific training modules.
By embedding VLFs into regional innovation ecosystems, VLF4EU helps build resilient and responsive learning infrastructures, especially in manufacturing regions undergoing transformation.
5. What’s next?
In the coming months, VLF4EU will:
- develop the immersive platform;
- design and validate over 40 training modules;
- engage new VET centres and SMEs;
- host the first international conference in early 2026.
The objective is a Europe-wide VLF network, scalable, sustainable, and evolving with changing needs.