An Innovative Mechatronic System for University–Industry Workforce Training

AUTOR(I) / AUTHOR(S): Vojislav Vujičić , Milan Marjanović , Marko Šućurović , Snežana Dragićević , Ivan Milićević  and Nedeljko Dučić

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/TIE26.364V

SAŽETAK /ABSTRACT:

The increasing adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and the growing demand for highly skilled employees require innovative approaches to workforce training and continuous professional development. Conventional training methods often provide limited opportunities for developing practical competencies while ensuring safety, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. At the same time, stronger collaboration between universities and industry has become essential for bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industrial practice. This paper presents the FTNV TRAINER, an innovative mechatronic system developed at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Čačak as a platform for industrial workforce training in a simulated industrial environment. Unlike conventional laboratory systems designed primarily for engineering education, the FTNV TRAINER was specifically developed to support the training of industrial employees through university–industry collaboration. The paper describes the concept, functional characteristics, and training capabilities of the system, as well as its application in simulation-based training for manufacturing processes. A structured training methodology consisting of theoretical instruction, manual operation, and automatic production mode is presented to demonstrate how the system supports the development of practical competencies for operators, maintenance personnel, and engineers. The proposed approach illustrates the potential of university–industry collaboration to provide flexible, safe, and practice-oriented workforce training for modern manufacturing environments.

KLJUČNE REČI / KEYWORDS: 

manufacturing; mechatronic system; university-industry collaboration; workforce training

PROJEKAT / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia under Contract No. 451-03-34/2026-03/200132 concluded with the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Čačak.

The development of the FTNV TRAINER was supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC) and implemented by NIRAS Germany GmbH. Project „E2E – From Education to Employment: Youth Skills Development and Private-Public Partnership in Serbia –III Phase” is defined in the Project Document no. 7F- 08747.03.01, Contract no. 81080870, and agreement on consulting services E2E-TS-07.03-VORWERK.

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