DTRaIN – Design Thinking for Entrepreneurship in Agri-food Sector: 2019-1-EL01-KA202-062997

The DTRaIN Project, objective is to revitalize the production in the agri-food sector of partners regions, by promoting the acquisition of high-quality skills for managing staff and entrepreneurs working in the sector.

To address this objective, a European “Design Thinking” professional profile will be developed, based on a qualification scheme for validating learning outcomes, according to ECVET recommendations. More specifically, the aims of the DTRaIN Project are:

• Design a VET Curriculum and develop training content (EQF 4-5) for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector, based in Design Thinking methodology.
• Design an innovative educational model based on a learner-centered approach, in a flipped classroom ubiquitous environment.

As stated in the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships priorities, it is crucial to develop projects that foster the acquisition of basic skills and key competences, promote entrepreneurial mind-set critical thinking and creativity.

At the same time, “Smart Specialization” is a collective process that more than 170 European regions and 16 countries in the EU are using, to identify their entrepreneurial strengths and their opportunities. This project will allow the sharing of the developed practices and outputs’, between these EU regions and countries, and furthermore, will enhance their replicability and transferability to other EU countries already following, or intend to follow the Smart Specialization processes.

The development of a European professional profile for Design Thinking requires the participation of partners bearing similar characteristics from widespread regions of Europe. Additionally, some of the main methodological subjects of the Design Thinking methodology are understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of the final user, a concept encapsulated into the term “Empathy”. Under this sense, the South-North and West-East, market cultural background of the partners give value added in the educational model and training material that will be developed.