Read the first two AIRECH newsletters
January 2026 and June 2026.
DAILY “GAZZETTA DI PARMA” – ECONOMY PAGE
Article dedicated to the first Transnational Meeting of the European project AIRECH, which, making use of generative AI, aims to preserve the knowledge of European traditional crafts at risk in order to transfer it to young generations. As Maria Chiara Venturelli, Project Manager at Cisita Parma, emphasizes: “AIRECH represents a concrete and innovative response to one of the most pressing critical issues for the European production fabric: the aging of the workforce and the difficulty in transferring highly specialized skills, often tacitly held, to new generations. Artificial intelligence, if applied in a targeted way and with ethical rigor, can become a valuable ally to conserve, enhance, and transmit this heritage of knowledge and culture to future workers.”
DAILY “GAZZETTA DI PARMA” – ECONOMY PAGE
THE FIRST NEWSLETTER OF THE AIRECH PROJECT – THE KICK-OFF START MEETING
Kick-off of the Erasmus+ AIRECH project – AI for REsilient Crafting Hub
All partners of the international partnership connected to officially start the collaboration. The lead partner Cisita Parma coordinated the meeting, which was attended by representatives of VET training centers, craft companies, and technology partners from Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, and the Netherlands.
Objectives and main activities of the Project
The project involves three artisanal sectors of excellence:
– Production of Parma Ham PDO (Italy)
– Traditional Jewelry Craftsmanship (Lithuania)
– Historical Textile Craft (Slovenia)
For each of these sectors, a conversational agent based on generative AI will be developed, an advanced digital tool that will serve both as a digital archive for the safeguarding and preservation of the know-how of these precious and ancient crafts, and as an innovative, engaging, safe, and ethical educational tool. These AI assistants will help students and teachers in the learning process, facilitating the transmission of skills.
The main activities will take place over two years and will last until October 2027, divided into Work Packages:
– Knowledge Base Construction and AI Agent Development
– Training, testing, and validation of the AI agents (one for each artisanal sector)
– Dissemination and valorization of the results for the replicability of the model
The Partnership
There are seven partners from three European countries, including specialist training centers, craft companies, and technology partners. The pairings are:
Italy: Cisita Parma (lead partner and VET training center) and Tanara Giancarlo Spa (producer of Parma Ham PDO)
Lithuania: Menų ir dizaino mokymo centras (VET school for jewelry craftsmanship) and Kauno prekybos, pramonės ir amatų rūmai (Kaunas Chamber of Commerce)
Slovenia: Strokovni izobraževalni center Ljubljana (VET school for historical textiles) and the artisanal workshop Andreja Stržinar
Technology partners: the Italian Ex Machina Italia (developer of the AI agents) and Fontys University of Applied Sciences (ethical and social validator from Brainport, Netherlands)
Next steps of the Project
In November, 4 online sessions of technical alignment and training (“AI Confidence”) were held for all partners, essential to train and align them to fully play their roles in the activities. The coming months will be dedicated to the collection and organization of materials useful for building the knowledge bases of the three AI agents, one for each artisanal sector involved.
During the KOM, the official project logo was also chosen, symbolizing the shared identity of the partnership. From the very first meeting, there was a strong atmosphere of cooperation and motivation, with widespread enthusiasm that represents a solid starting point for the success of AIRECH.
AIRECH: The Month 8 Transnational Meeting Marks a Turning Point
Our AIRECH partners met online on 9 June 2026 for the Month 8 Transnational Project Meeting — and the progress achieved is remarkable!
From the workshops of Slovenian traditional costume master artisans, to Lithuanian jewellery experts, and the masters of Prosciutto di Parma in Italy: the partner schools have collected interviews, videos, manuals, educational materials, and much more, along with decades of tacit craft knowledge, ready to become the core of three educational AI agents.
One master artisan expressed it perfectly:
“Time is not a burden; it is an ingredient, and it cannot be replaced.”
This wisdom is now part of our AI Knowledge Base.
Here is what lies ahead in the coming months:
• Upload of the knowledge bases to the AI platform (by the end of June)
• Start of training and testing of the AI agents (from September 2026)
• Online publication of three educational chatbots on the three validated crafts (by June 2027)
AIRECH continues to build bridges between centuries-old craft traditions and 21st-century learning, also through milestone meetings such as this one, which keep alive the dialogue and concrete commitment among all project partners, with the constant support of Ex Machina Italia (developer of the three AI agents) and Fontys University of Applied Sciences (ethical validator).
Partner company for the implementation of the activities:
Andreja Stržinar
Partner company for the implementation of the activities:
Kauno prekybos, pramonės ir amatų rūmai (Kaunas CCIC)
The AIRECH project featured in the brochure distributed at SPS Italia 2026 • Smart Production Solutions
From 26 to 28 May 2026, the new edition of SPS Italia took place at Fiere di Parma, the leading event for smart, digital and sustainable industry and for the Italian manufacturing sector. Cisita Parma was present with its own stand, a meeting point for companies and for all those interested in vocational training who wished to learn about the organization’s training offer. Among the materials distributed to hundreds of visitors during the event, a dedicated brochure also presented the AIRECH project, included among the initiatives that demonstrate Cisita Parma’s commitment to developing innovative solutions based on Artificial Intelligence, in support of innovation in teaching, knowledge transfer and local businesses.
The topic of AI was at the centre of the conference presenting the results of the Fondirigenti Strategic Initiative “AI and Knowledge Management in the food transformation sector”, which showed how AI is a strategic lever on which to continue investing for an effective, safe and ethical Digital Transition.
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