Learning, connecting and looking ahead: Reflections from the CoP CoVE Forum 2026 in Graz, Austria

What happens when educators, researchers, industry representatives and Centres of Vocational Excellence from across Europe come together? Ideas are exchanged, good practices are discovered, and new collaborations begin.

Last week, the AIRMOB partnership joined the CoP CoVE Forum in Graz, an inspiring European gathering focused on the future of vocational education and training and the role of Centres of Vocational Excellence in building stronger skills ecosystems.

For our partners, the Forum was not simply about listening to presentations. It was an opportunity to see how different regions are connecting education, industry and research, and to reflect on what these experiences can mean for AIRMOB and the future of Innovative Air Mobility.

Learning from European experiences

One of the strongest messages from the Forum was clear: successful skills ecosystems are built together.

Across the different examples presented, close cooperation between VET providers, higher education institutions, research organisations and industry emerged as a key driver of regional development.

The study visits brought this message to life. One practice that particularly caught our attention was the use of state-of-the-art industrial machinery in student laboratories, allowing learners to train on equipment similar to what they will encounter in their future workplaces.

Another inspiring example was the organisation of traineeships in alternating three-month periods of study and work placement. Students can return from industry with new challenges, technologies and questions that may not yet appear in textbooks. These experiences can then become part of classroom discussions, allowing the entire group to learn from what one student has encountered in the workplace.

These approaches offer valuable food for thought as AIRMOB works to develop skills and training for the rapidly evolving Innovative Air Mobility sector.

From networking to meaningful collaboration

The Forum also created plenty of opportunities for informal conversations and networking.

From the first day’s activities to the exhibition, our partners met representatives from CoVEs working across sectors as diverse as automotive, agriculture, sustainable energy, semiconductors and leadership.

Despite this diversity, one thing stood out: the enthusiasm and commitment of the people behind these initiatives.

The exhibition offered a particularly valuable opportunity to speak directly with CoVE representatives, learn more about their activities and understand the challenges they are addressing in their own regions.

These conversations also highlighted the potential for future European cooperation. The relationships established in Graz provide a foundation for continued dialogue, knowledge exchange and potentially new collaborative opportunities.

Industry involvement is essential

The Forum repeatedly demonstrated that industry involvement needs to go beyond simply supporting a CoVE.

A workshop focusing on the semiconductor sector provided a particularly interesting example. Local companies in the Netherlands have been actively involved in shaping the priorities and future direction of their CoVE.

This kind of cooperation is highly relevant to AIRMOB.

Innovative Air Mobility is developing rapidly, bringing new technologies, skills requirements and professional profiles with it. If training is to keep pace with these changes, industry needs to be part of the conversation from the beginning.

For AIRMOB, this means continuing to strengthen the links between companies, research organisations and education and training providers in our regions.

Sustainability beyond project funding

Perhaps one of the most important reflections from Graz concerned sustainability.

Many CoVEs across Europe are developing exciting activities, partnerships and new approaches. But a fundamental question remains:

How do we make sure that the impact continues after the project funding ends?

The Forum reinforced the idea that creating a CoVE is only the beginning.

Long-term industry engagement, strong regional partnerships and demonstrable impact will be essential if these initiatives are to continue creating value for learners, companies and communities.

This is also a key consideration for AIRMOB. As our five CoVEs become increasingly established, we need to look beyond the project itself and consider how the partnerships, structures and knowledge we are developing can continue to grow and create impact in the years ahead.

Bringing the experience back to AIRMOB

The CoP CoVE Forum 2026 left the AIRMOB consortium with new ideas, new connections and renewed motivation for the work ahead.

The experience reinforced our ambition to strengthen the dialogue between industry, research and education within our territories and to ensure that our CoVEs remain closely connected to the real needs of the Innovative Air Mobility sector.

Above all, the forum reminded us that the strength of the CoVE community lies in collaboration. The connections made in Graz are a starting point for continued dialogue, knowledge exchange and potentially new European partnerships.

We look forward to nurturing these relationships and bringing what we have learned into the next stage of AIRMOB – working together to build stronger, more responsive and more sustainable skills ecosystems for the future of Innovative Air Mobility.