SeaAhead is an Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) project that aims to strengthen the European maritime sector by addressing current and future skills challenges through innovation, collaboration, and excellence in vocational education and training (VET). Building on the achievements of previous EU initiatives, including the SkillSea project and MET-NET, SeaAhead promotes high-quality, inclusive, and future-oriented maritime education while supporting the sector's sustainability, digital and green transition, and global competitiveness. This is a 48-month project starting in February 2025 and coordinated by Metropolitan College (Greece).
SeaAhead is built around four strategic pillars:
• Advancing maritime vocational education and training through the integration of Extended Reality (XR), simulation technologies, and innovative learning approaches.
• Empowering maritime employers with advanced remote and digital training solutions for continuous workforce development.
• Fostering entrepreneurship and innovation to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of the maritime sector.
• Developing a joint educational framework that enhances cooperation among European maritime academies and promotes high-quality, competence-based training.
To achieve these objectives, the project is structured around three complementary work packages:
• WP2: Enhancing collaboration by transforming MET-NET and establishing Regional and European Maritime Skills Partnership.
• WP3: Designing a role model for a Maritime Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).
• WP4: Deploying Maritime CoVEs through pilot activities, innovative training, and stakeholder engagement.
In the context of the project, the Eugenides Foundation EF plays an important role in strengthening MET-NET and supporting its development into a sustainable European maritime education and training network. It also contributes to the establishment of Regional and Large-scale Maritime Skills Partnerships, fostering closer cooperation among education providers, industry representatives and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, EF leads activities related to stakeholder engagement, skills anticipation, cooperation between education and industry, and the development of a collaborative ecosystem that aligns maritime education and training with current and future skills needs across Europe.
The SeaAhead consortium consists of 23 partners from Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, Germany, France, and Ukraine, including thirteen education and training providers, six industry representatives, three expert organisations, one European umbrella organisation, and one quality assurance partner. Together, the partners are working to build a sustainable European ecosystem that promotes maritime skills development, vocational excellence, innovation, and stronger cooperation between education and industry.
For further information, please visit the project website:
https://seaahead.eu/
