The EBI-organised webinar presented the TEcoNaut project, a collaborative effort among companies and institutions across Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain, and Turkey.
Attracting wide attendance from industry professionals and stakeholders, the session focused on advancing environmentally sustainable practices, material innovation, and workforce upskilling in the European boat-building sector. The high level of engagement and positive feedback underscored the relevance and impact of TEcoNaut’s work.
Yesterday’s event summarised the project’s research outcomes, specialised educational resource development, and two case studies on using volcanic stone and flax fibers in material innovation by Innovation Yachts and Greenboats, respectively.
- Philip Easthill (EBI) outlined the project’s objectives: supporting the green transition via material life cycles and workforce upskilling. He then summarised the Agenda, including skill needs, online training, case studies from Innovation Yachts and Greenboats, and development of an entrepreneurship guide.
Our project started with identifying three main challenges in the boat-building sector.
- Market Context: Over 6.5 million boats exist in European waters.
- Material Waste: The industry uses over 72,000 tons of composite materials (fiberglass, resins) that are difficult to recycle.
- The Gap: A disconnect exists between the demand for sustainable processes and the availability of a skilled workforce.
The first previous step: Research Findings and Skill Gaps
- Only 20–25% of the 141 curricula analysed feature sustainable content, highlighting key gaps in skills such as sustainability promotion, compliance with environmental legislation, waste management, and limited training in digital and technical skills for sustainable manufacturing.
- Top Missing Skills: Sustainability promotion, compliance with environmental legislation, and waste management.
- Digital/Tech Gap: Lack of training in cutting-edge technologies and digital skills for sustainable manufacturing.
The second previous step: Identifying the Skills Gap
- Research found needs beyond manual skills, such as bio-based resin application, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), recycling, fundraising, and soft skills—reinforcing the need for broader training content.
- Emphasis on ESCO (European Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) and ISO standards.
- With these insights, the project proceeded to course design: Structure: a 140-hour, 5-unit course available in 7 languages.
- Methodology: Hybrid approach (online theory + hands-on workshops).
- The curriculum covers sustainability, materials, manufacturing/repair, LCA, soft skills, and career planning.
Piloting, Evaluation, and Teacher’s Handbook
- Skills Shadowing Workshops with partners Astondoa, Greenboats, and Innovation Yachts.
- Pilots: Conducted in Menorca (Spain) and Gölcük (Turkey).
- Teacher’s Handbook: A 150-page guide providing delivery instructions, equipment lists, and extra resources.
Key Points & Action Items
- Project Goal: Improve the entire product life cycle, including manufacturing processes and the use of bio-based materials.
- Research Depth: The team conducted more than 120 stakeholder interviews and analysed more than 100 European training curricula.
- Access the Course: The 140-hour course is free and available at www.teconaut.eu
- Action Item for All Stakeholders: Please review the three comprehensive research reports available on the TEcoNaut project website. This is essential for understanding the research findings and supporting the project’s green transition objectives.
- Action Item for Trainers: Trainers should conduct the course in a workshop setting to facilitate hands-on practice with eco-friendly materials and ensure effective knowledge transfer.
- Action Item for every attendant: Contact Marina Palumbo (EBI) via email for newsletter updates and specific project inquiries to ensure effective project communication (mpc@europeanboatingindustry.eu).
Quotes
“This project is really strategically important for our industry because it embarks on one of the key aspects that we want to tackle in terms of the green transition sustainability, which is materials.”
“There is still a big gap between a skilled and knowledgeable workforce when it comes to a significantly more sustainable boat building.”
“Everything starts with education and training… in order to have an increasingly sustainable sector.”
“Their main goal was to find a recyclable and high-end quality building material for boats that can address mechanical issues while lowering the environmental impact of boat building.”
Resources Mentioned
- Project Website: www.teconaut.eu
- Documentation: Three Research Reports, 140-hour TEcoNaut Course, 150+ page Teacher’s Handbook.
