GreenSMILE – Green skills for SME Transformation

GreenSMILE supports companies in preparing for the green economy. Innovative training tools are developed and made available for this purpose. These can be used to systematically identify training needs and derive specific measures to achieve strategic sustainability goals.

The green transformation is changing work and job profiles in production. Companies have to adapt to new market conditions and stricter environmental regulations. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the resources to train their employees specifically for a more sustainable economy.

The GreenSMILE project aims to support SMEs in the manufacturing industry in this transition. It provides innovative qualification tools that enable employees to acquire sustainability skills. Employees can be trained in various areas via a modern learning platform in order to better meet the requirements of the green economy.

GreenSMILE provides conceptual and technical solutions for sustainable personnel development. On this basis, training needs can be systematically identified and specific measures derived to achieve strategic sustainability goals. The central instruments of the project are the “Materiality Analysis” and the so-called “Green Skills Check”. These diagnostic tools help companies to determine the current status of their employees' sustainability skills and set specific targets for further training measures. Through systematic personnel development, companies can not only improve their sustainability performance, but also position themselves as attractive employers.

GreenSMILE promotes the use of a wide range of learning opportunities for sustainable personnel development. With the AI-based learning path generator, the training opportunities are personalized and precisely tailored to the company's needs. A learning management system supports learners during their training. GreenSMILE draws on a wide range of learning opportunities, which are clearly presented to companies in order to make training strategic and employee-oriented. The learning content is continuously expanded, including free and high-quality offers, in order to facilitate access to sustainable qualifications.

The project brings together a network of research institutions, training providers and companies to jointly develop solutions for a sustainable transformation. The partners involved have extensive experience in industry, particularly in mechanical engineering, as well as in the field of digital training. They work closely together to test and continuously improve the developed approaches in practice. Fraunhofer IPK coordinates the collaboration and ensures that the knowledge gained is widely applicable. The solutions developed can be transferred to numerous other companies in industry and the service sector in order to drive forward the sustainable transformation of the economy.

• Fraunhofer IPK (Berlin)
• Peers Solutions GmbH (Berlin)
• Harms & Wende GmbH & Co. KG (Hamburg)
• FBT Feinblechtechnik GmbH (Mahlow-Blankenfelde)
• ZEIT Akademie (Hamburg)

Transfer partners:

• Fraunhofer Academy
• TU Berlin (Department of Sustainable Corporate Development) 
• Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
• Steinbeis Europa Zentrum