We are pleased to present the second edition of the VLF4EU newsletter, highlighting the progress of the project and the achievements of our consortium.

Building on strong foundations, project partners continue their successful and fruitful cooperation with the aim of implementation of virtual learning factories across Europe and bridging the gap between education and industry to make Industry 5.0 a reality.

In Industry 5.0 humans play a central role as co-creators of technology. Here the emphasis is on the development of competencies such as complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration with technology. Digital twins - virtual copies of a physical system – facilitate precisely this type of learning, allowing users to interact directly with simulated yet realistic processes.

This issue provides insights into the progress project partners have made in implementing various project activities, developing and implementing digital twins being one of the focal ones. Equally important is the dissemination of results achieved by project partners' participation in a number of industrial fairs, summits and other events all over Europe with the aim of promoting the introduction of Industry 5.0 technologies in VET/HET centres and SMEs. 

We continue to share key milestones and developments, keeping the community informed and engaged as the project evolves with the hope that such activities further strengthen dialogue, collaboration, and the shared commitment that drives VLF4EU toward its next achievements.

We invite you to explore the latest updates and stay connected with our journey toward innovative, collaborative, and future-oriented learning solutions.

Elesar Innovation, a technology company based in the Basque Country, is one of the partners in the VLF4EU project, coordinated by IMH Campus. Elesar Innovation contributes its expertise in the advanced virtualisation of robots and industrial working scenarios for both industry and education.

As part of the VLF4EU project, we have collaborated closely with IMH to develop an immersive Digital Twin of a Learning Factory, creating its Virtual Learning Factory. This Digital Twin replicates a physical training cell composed of a conveyor belt, pistons, suction cups, controlled by a Siemens S7-1500 PLC, and a UR5 robot.

To virtualise this Learning Factory, we followed a structured methodology developed in two main phases. First, we established the connection between the physical and virtual environments by integrating both the UR robot and the Siemens PLC through OPC UA, an open communication standard that enables reliable data exchange. By developing this connection through open-source technologies, we were able to integrate devices from different manufacturers within the same server architecture, ensuring interoperability and flexibility.

In the second phase, we developed the 3D simulation environment in Unity and deployed it as a virtual reality application for VR headsets. This allows students to immerse themselves in a realistic industrial setting where they can practice programming and interact with the system in a highly engaging way.

One of the most significant achievements of this development is the bidirectional functionality of the digital twin. This means that actions carried out in the virtual environment can be reproduced in the physical cell, while changes in the real system can also be reflected in the virtual one. In addition, the digital twin can operate both in connection with the physical equipment and with the simulation environment, providing greater flexibility for training, testing, and demonstration purposes. Depending on the pedagogical objectives, the system can also operate in a one-way mode, as a digital shadow. This adaptability makes it possible to respond to different training needs and learning scenarios.

We recently presented this development at the International Machine-Tool Exhibition (BIEMH) in Barakaldo, one of Europe’s leading industrial trade fairs. The response was extremely positive, particularly from vocational education and training centres, which showed strong interest in the potential of this technology to enhance learning processes and improve the quality of technical education.

Over the coming months, we will continue refining our Virtual Learning Factory and exploring new functionalities. By broadening the range of training scenarios and integrating different types of robots and industrial systems, we aim to offer even more realistic and versatile learning experiences for vocational education and training.

CoVE VLF4EU project 1^st International Conference

When? 13-15 October 2026.

Where? At the 35^th BI-MU in Milan, Italy.

BI-MU is the main Italian exhibition dedicated to the industry of metal cutting, metal forming and additive machine tools, robots, digital manufacturing and automation systems.

SCSKZ

SCSKZ is organising a competition for the preparation of research papers, XR applications and innovative products or technological processes for students in June 2026.

CESI

CESI hosted the LUA presentation internal online workshop for the technical partners of the VLF4EU project on 13 March 2026. An initiative to present LUA, CESI's LINEACT-UA framework, to facilitate the implementation of digital twins in the VLF platform.

Check out our website to see what has been happening in the project.

What lies ahead is the continuation of the work on piloting virtual training environments, integration of immersive learning scenarios, work on microcredentials and the VLF4EU Alliance. The next partner meeting in Slovenia will be an opportunity for project partners to come together once again to share individual experiences and knowledge and merge it into the VLF4EU know-how.  

VLF4EU is already making significant steps towards transforming vocational learning across Europe as we see project work packages being developed and implemented. The results of partners in the consortium are being presented to professionals and general public at industrial trade fairs, European summits and other relevant events across Europe.

If you are interested in the future of VET, XR technologies and Industry 5.0, join us at the 1^st international conference for the CoVE VLF4EU project in Milan in October 2026.

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