Mechatronics centre boosts Croatian skills

An University of the West of England product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 22, 2008

UWE has been awarded Eur 435,000 by the European Union to help set up the centre which will be hosted by the Polytechnic of Karlovac and the technical school.

The University of the West of England is working with the Polytechnic and Technical School of Karlovac to set up a Centre of Excellence in Mechatronics in a manufacturing region of Croatia.

The project will support regional learning and innovation in education and training and better equip the local manufacturing industry to respond to the changing needs of the Croatian and global economy.

UWE has been awarded Eur 435,000 by the European Union to help set up the centre which will be hosted by the Polytechnic of Karlovac and the technical school and is supported by regional stakeholders including government ministries and regional promotion organisations.

Professor Darko Vyroubal, Vice Dean of the Faculty at the Polytechnic of Karlovac said, "The establishment of such a centre is what is desperately needed to introduce modern blended learning and business initiative to local industry, which is losing pace with modern technology".

Staff from Croatia travelled to Bristol recently for a study tour hosted by UWE's Bristol Institute of Technology (BIT), which included industrial visits and visits to laboratories within the Institute and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

The Project Director is Dr John Lanham, of BIT and the UWE team leader is Farid Dailami.

Farid said, "UWE is advising on course content, curricula and delivery methods as well as staffing and resourcing".

"We are determining regional industry needs and helping the centre set up appropriate structures to respond to external demands".

"The UWE team is developing a range of mechanisms for knowledge exchange, to enable equipment, facilities and expertise from the Centre of Excellence to be accessed by local industrial clients".

The team will also establish external advisory boards, consisting of senior members from industry, Chamber of Commerce and educators from the Centre of Excellence to understand and meet the skills and training needs of local industrial partners.

UWE is also in wider talks about supporting region - region business links between this area of Croatia and the South West of England.