1. INTRODUCTION OF THE PROJECT

2. Process automation is very important in highly industrialized countries and we know that it influences the quality of the product in all sectors.

3. It is also very important in respect of improving process safety, planting availability, utilizing resources, and lowering emissions.

4. The main actor in all this process is, of course, the industrial robots widely used by highly developed countries and dramatically needed by developing countries.

5. The lack of qualified personnel (from manager to worker level) in automation technology is one of the most important problems to apply automation in countries like Turkey.

6. This problem can best be seen in SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and it can be overcome by giving a qualified education to the personnel about automation and its applications.

7. There are a number of training courses available in Automation and Robotics in the market, but they mainly concentrate on A&R (Automation and Robotics) products from a specific vendor, often not covering complex issues related to integration of A&RM solutions and mainly are not suitable to the specific needs of SMEs.

8. Moreover, these courses do not support a combination with other forms of learning, such as learning groups, and therefore they do not support knowledge sharing among the trainees.

9. In VILAROB project, a new innovative training system will be developed about the automation systems and robotics. The training system will not only include the theorethical knowledgde about the automation systems in industry, but the technical and practical examples which will be given in a laboratory, called Virtual Laboratory for Automation and Robotics.

10. The ISAR - Integrated Set of vocational trainings in the field: most advanced solutions in technology, organization and safety in Automated and Robotized manufacturing systems – Pilot project will be selected as base and the training methods will be transferred in context of VILAROB project.

11. In context of VILAROB project, a laboratory will be designed where the trainees can find several application examples about automation with industrial robots and different software, hardware and mechanical instruments which are used in automation industry, especially with robotics.

12. The main target groups will be (1) managers, (2) employees in SMEs and unemployed workers, but also (3) teachers/trainers and consultants. The main target sectors are: SMEs active in production, and the basic vocational education institutes which are supporting the development of the SMEs staff.

13. Thus the main objective of this project is to create a training module about automation with industry robots and sensors to educate managers and employees of SMEs and technical teachers in vocational schools.

14. So as to reach this goal effectively, we planned to prepare a technical laboratory containing either simple training robots or robot simulation programs in context of this project.

15. Fatih University Ankara Vocational School will give the education of this automation program to the target groups mentioned in Turkey by getting the technical and educational support of both Polish and German partners.