Developing joint training tools for the future of traditional shipyards
28/04/2026
TOFOLA has reached an important milestone with the development of a joint training package designed to support the future educational shipyards of the project in Italy and Croatia. Structured into three complementary modules and translated into the national languages, the training tools provide a shared framework for learning, practice and skills transfer in the field of traditional wooden boatbuilding.
The training programme brings together heritage, craftsmanship, digital innovation and inclusive design. Its goal is not only to preserve traditional knowledge, but also to make it usable in contemporary educational contexts, helping new generations of learners and professionals engage with Adriatic maritime culture through practical and technical content.
Module 1 – Maritime heritage and digital documentation
The first module focuses on introducing participants to maritime heritage and the cultural value of traditional wooden boats.
It combines theoretical knowledge with digital methodologies, including photogrammetry and 3D scanning, enabling the documentation, analysis and preservation of boat structures. By integrating traditional knowledge with digital tools, this module supports a deeper understanding of historical assets while opening new possibilities for their conservation and dissemination.
Module 2 – Construction and restoration practices
The second module is dedicated to practical skills, offering insights into traditional construction and restoration techniques.
Through real case studies and examples from operational shipyards, participants are guided through key phases of boatbuilding, from materials to processes. This hands-on approach strengthens technical competences and provides a concrete link between knowledge and practice, ensuring the continuity of craftsmanship traditions.
Module 3 – Innovation, sustainability and accessibility
The third module explores how traditional boatbuilding can evolve to meet contemporary challenges.
Particular attention is given to sustainability and accessibility, highlighting how design and construction processes can be adapted to create more inclusive and environmentally responsible solutions. This module bridges past and future, showing how heritage can inspire innovation in tourism and maritime design.
Taken together, the three modules form an integrated learning pathway for students, shipwrights, designers and sector professionals. The result is a practical and shared set of training tools that strengthens cross-border cooperation, supports the transmission of specialist skills and lays the groundwork for future workshops and educational activities within the TOFOLA project.
With this deliverable, TOFOLA confirms its commitment to building a common training ecosystem for the future shipyards of the Adriatic area: one that values traditional wooden boat heritage, encourages technical and digital competences, and creates the conditions for knowledge to be shared, transferred and sustained across generations and borders.
