Between 23 and 27 March, ISEL hosted the on‑site component of the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “Sustainable Engineering in Action: from Idea to Impact”, organised under the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. The programme brought together students and lecturers from different European institutions to address current challenges in sustainability and engineering.
The BIP organised by ISEL stood out for its innovative character, the transdisciplinary nature of its teams, and its focus on some of today’s major global challenges, such as the circular economy, sustainable materials, innovative business models, and the social impact of engineering. Throughout the programme, participants were challenged to transform sustainability ideas into concrete engineering solutions, strengthening skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork.
Virtual component: from research to solution preparation
The virtual component took place between 23 February and 22 March and was structured in two phases: a research phase (23 February to 8 March) and a phase dedicated to analysis and preparation of presentations (9 to 22 March). Students worked in groups focused on one of the seven key areas of the circular economy defined by the European Commission: plastics; textiles; electronic waste; food, water and nutrients; packaging; batteries and vehicles; buildings and construction.
This preliminary work allowed participants to understand the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of advanced sustainable engineering practices, serving as a foundation for the development of the solutions presented and further explored during the on‑site week.
On‑site component: learning, collaboration and discovering Lisbon
During the on‑site week at ISEL, participants attended several specialist talks, developed collaborative activities and projects, and had direct contact with real‑world contexts for the application of sustainable engineering. The programme also included various activities in Lisbon, such as a team‑building session at the VR Arena, an industrial visit to the company Hychem, and a cultural visit to the Lisbon Oceanarium.
What is a BIP?
Blended Intensive Programmes were created to promote the internationalisation of higher education, making it accessible to all students regardless of their academic background, scientific field, or level of study. These programmes combine a virtual component, developed over several weeks, with an intensive one‑week on‑site component at a foreign higher education institution.
