EU‑DRIVE (European Upskilling in Disaster Resilience and Innovation in Vocational Excellence) is a forward-looking Erasmus+ initiative designed to strengthen Europe’s capacity to respond to climate and disaster risks through advanced vocational training. Co-funded by the European Union under the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the project is implemented under the ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PEX-COVE call (Grant Agreement No. 101260905).
The project officially launched on 28–29 April 2026, bringing together partners both in person and online at the European University Cyprus – CERIDES (EUC‑CERIDES) in Nicosia for a hybrid kick-off meeting.
EU‑DRIVE focuses on preparing and equipping citizens for an era of increasingly complex climate and disaster challenges. Its ambition is to establish a scalable and sustainable model of vocational excellence in disaster resilience across Europe, transforming how both the general public and the public workforce are trained.
A powerful transnational alliance
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and civil protection require seamless cross-border collaboration and cutting-edge skills. To meet this urgent demand, EU‑DRIVE brings together a consortium of 15 beneficiaries and 4 associated partners across six countries: Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Moldova.
By uniting Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, research centres, universities and public policy actors, the project bridges the gap between academic expertise and real-world operational needs.
From strategy to action: regional skills hubs
EU‑DRIVE is built around concrete, localised action. At the heart of the project is the creation of five Regional DRM Skills Hubs, alongside a transnational alliance. These hubs will foster long-term cooperation between emergency services, local authorities, VET institutions and civil society in training and education.
Leveraging strong territorial roots and specialised expertise in wildfires, floods, drought and multi-hazard resilience, the partner network will deliver:
- Modular curricula and micro-credentials: Flexible, certified training tailored to the identified needs of the project’s target groups.
- Next-generation training tools: Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for immersive learning experiences.
- Work-based learning (WBL): Moving trainees beyond traditional classroom models into real operational environments.
Insights from the project coordinator
The project is led and managed by Prof. George Boustras, Director of CERIDES, who holds overall responsibility for its execution and strategic direction.
“We have done an enormous amount of work to get here. This is a truly collective effort, where everyone has contributed, and I am incredibly proud of the teamwork that brought us to this launch.”
— Prof. George Boustras, Project Coordinator
Setting the groundwork in Nicosia
The two-day kick-off meeting was highly productive, setting the course for the six core work packages that define the project’s scope. Beyond detailed technical and administrative discussions, the consortium reached its first collaborative milestones: formally approving the project’s visual identity and logo, and appointing members to the steering and management committees.
“The extreme weather effects produced by climate change are turning it into a full-blown climate crisis. They are having a real and unfortunate impact on our lives, and we are here to help address that gap with EU‑DRIVE.”
— Prof. George Boustras, Project Coordinator
Stay connected with EU‑DRIVE
Follow EU‑DRIVE’s official social media channels to track progress, explore upcoming results and stay updated on developments over the next four years:
- X: @EU_Drive_Cove
- Facebook: EU DRIVE
- LinkedIn: EU‑DRIVE
The project website, eu-drive.eu, is expected to launch in June 2026.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
