PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
Ionian University at the Kick-off Meeting of the Erasmus+ BIAD Project in Rome
Ionian University actively participated in the Kick-off Meeting of the European project “AI-Enabled Skill-Building for Tourism and Hospitality: Bridging the Industry–Academia Divide (BIAD)”, which took place on 3–4 February 2026 at the premises of the project’s lead partner, Forma Camera, in Rome.
The project is funded under the ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-ALL-INNO-EDU-ENTERP – Alliances for Education and Enterprises framework and is coordinated by Project Manager Mr. Luca Reitano (Forma Camera, Roma).
Ionian University was represented by Professor Christina Beneki, Scientific Coordinator of the project, and Assistant Professor Naoum Mylonas, Deputy Scientific Coordinator, who took part in the meeting alongside representatives of all project partners. Professor Beneki presented the Department of Tourism and highlighted the alignment of the BIAD project with the curriculum and academic profile of the Department.
During the two-day meeting, the overall implementation methodology of the BIAD project was presented and discussed, including its objectives, target groups, planned activities, allocation of roles and responsibilities among partners, as well as the expected results and impact. Particular emphasis was placed on:
- Work Package 2 (WP2), focusing on skills needs assessment and gap analysis in the tourism and hospitality sector, with particular emphasis on digital and technological literacy and the use of artificial intelligence tools;
- Work Package 3 (WP3), which concentrates on the development of training programmes, curricula, training modules and open educational resources aimed at strengthening skills in the tourism and hospitality workforce;
- Project management issues (WP1), including financial monitoring, quality assurance, and the dissemination and exploitation of project results.
On the second day of the meeting, the BIAD project was presented to external stakeholders and interested parties, further strengthening dialogue between academia and the labour market, which constitutes a core objective of the project.
Ionian University’s participation in the BIAD project aligns with its strategic priorities to promote innovation in education, leverage artificial intelligence in tourism and hospitality, and connect academic knowledge with real industry needs, thereby actively contributing to the development of contemporary skills for the European tourism sector.
