THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT: EXPERIENCES FROM THE ERASMUS+ IE3 PROJECT

The ongoing fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), permeates the worldwide economies of most industrialized areas. From the shop floor to the research & innovation level, a critical mass of knowledge workers is required to benefit from the great, mostly unexplored, potentialities of I4.0 technologies. Educating a critical mass of thousands of knowledge / talented workers is the most extensive higher education challenge Europe is facing. An increasing qualitative and quantitative gap between demand and supply of knowledge workers is threatening the chance of success of the re-industrialization of Europe. The main objective of the IE3 project is to design and test innovative courses in Industrial Engineering and Management (IE&M). By introducing cutting-edge learning techniques and tools, the project will support the future generation of knowledge workers. Testing and sharing pilot solutions by the IE3 project will systematically support the development, updating, or re-design of university courses/programs in IE&M throughout Europe. The Body of Knowledge (BoK) for Higher Education in Industrial Engineering and Management is the reference document to support conceptual and implementation processes of designing, updating, or re-designing university master-level programs or course modules in IE&M. The BoK defines Guidelines supporting the renewal processes of IE&M master-level education in Europe and disseminates IE3 project outcomes, giving value to practical experience carried out by project partners during the project development. The BoK is not only a methodology, but it represents the foundation upon which Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can develop their strategies, policies, procedures, and tools to renew courses and programs in an evolving environment. The Bok refers to contents and knowledge constantly evolving according to a rolling re-design approach.