GIST

To help SMEs acquire the fundamental skills required to achieve this "Bionic Status," GIST aims to create cutting-edge training materials. It has a special emphasis on businesses in the furniture industry, a sector where the fourth industrial revolution had not yet made a significant impact because of underinvestments in R&D&I, a characteristic weakness of SMEs. The organizations involved are indeed concerned about the ageing workforce and the shortage of competent workers. A lifetime learning path for up- and re-skilling SME workers thus appears to be a priority. ​

The project's primary target audience is SMEs in the furniture and associated sectors, as well as national and regional authorities and civil society.