Agenda
The 1st VLF4EU Conference is organized as a single day on 14 October 2026, within the 35.BI-MU exhibition at Fiera Milano (Rho), running from 09:30 to 16:30. It brings together strong elements into one focused day, keeping the active, hands-on and peer-learning character at the center of the event.
The morning takes place at the BI-MU Competence Arena – one of the fair’s main speech stages, for maximum visibility among visitors – and the afternoon moves to the dedicated LEM conference rooms for parallel, hands-on sessions. Partners are involved both in designing and in delivering the sessions. The VLF4EU project stand remains open throughout the four days of the fair (13–16 October).
Overview
Morning · Competence Arena – opening and project introduction, the European skills-gap study (D2.4), two invited keynotes with a short break, and a plenary roundtable.
Afternoon · LEM Rooms A & B – practice talks and a live VLF showcase, parallel hands-on workshops, and the closing roundtable.
Morning · BI-MU Competence Arena
Registration
Arrival of participants, registration and informal networking.
Opening & project introduction
Official welcome by the organizers (UCIMU & ECOLE) and the project coordinator (IMH, Elesar). Presentation of VLF4EU — vision, objectives and how this conference fits the project.
The skills gap in European manufacturing · Study D2.4
Presentation of the project’s public study on competencies and skills gaps across six European countries (led by AFM Cluster). Sets the challenge VLF4EU addresses and why virtual learning factories matter.
Invited keynote 1 · Why VLFs matter for industry & VET
An external voice giving credibility to the approach. Candidates (TBC): MADE Competence Center 4.0 (Prof. M. Taisch); a CLF-network academic; an SME/industry technical director; or a VET representative.
Break
Short networking break.
Invited keynote 2 · Scaling Virtual Learning Factories across Europe
A second invited keynote on scaling VLFs across Europe. Same candidate pool (TBC).
Plenary roundtable · What do VET/HVET centers need to make VLFs work?
Moderated across four dimensions: infrastructure, pedagogy, teacher capacity and industry cooperation. Panel: CESI (or another partner) + invited researcher + industry/SME voice + VET representative + moderator.
Lunch break & BI-MU exploration
Time to explore the fair; transition from the Competence Arena to the LEM rooms.
Afternoon · LEM Conference Rooms A & B
Welcome back & afternoon briefing
Room A. Framing of the afternoon’s parallel, hands-on format.
Parallel block 1
Room A — VET/HVET practice talks & live VLF showcase: short talks and live demonstrations of platforms, digital twins and XR/VR (partners + invited / CLF researchers).
Room B — Hands-on workshop: immersive VR/AR for industrial training (Innovae).
Coffee break
Short coffee break.
Parallel block 2
Room A — Workshop / clinic: from physical process to digital model, shadow or twin (CESI).
Room B — VLF pedagogy & micro-credentials (UCN).
Closing roundtable & conclusions
Room A. “What should the European VLF community do next?” — key takeaways, next steps, and a preview of the upcoming VLF4EU conferences. Closing remarks.
VLF4EU Project Stand · 13–16 October
VLF4EU project stand
The VLF4EU project stand is located in the educational area of 35.BI-MU and is open throughout the four days of the exhibition (13–16 October). With an area of 16 m², the stand presents a physical setup together with the digital twin developed by ECOLE within the project. It is staffed by ECOLE and UCIMU for the full duration of the fair, so consortium partners are not required to remain on site all four days. The stand also serves as a meeting point for participants, visiting VET students and exhibition visitors, and can host the conference posters across all fair days.