EWF Announces 3rd Edition of Professionals of the Future

The European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) is pleased to announce the third edition of its flagship sectoral event, Professionals of the Future (POTF), taking place on October 20, 2026, at Hotel Eurostars, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal. Building on EWF’s ongoing commitment to international sectoral education and training, this year’s edition explores the theme of Artificial Intelligente (AI): “Tools, Skills and Industrial Transformation”.  

Why human-centric (re)manufacturing?

As the manufacturing industry undergoes a twin transition – digital and green – the role of the human worker is being redefined. Human-centric (re)manufacturing focuses on empowering the workforce as the strategic heart of the production process, ensuring that professionals act as the creative and essential pilots of advanced technology. For EWF, this theme is of strategic importance. To remain competitive and sustainable, the industry must not only adopt AI but ensure that its workforce is qualified to use it. This translates
into three concrete priorities:

• Advancement within International Qualification Systems: Updating harmonised qualification scheme to include digital and circular competencies.
• Standardisation: Ensuring that certified professionals possess the specific AI-literacy and remanufacturing skills recognised across countries and sectors.
• Closing the Gap: Aligning the rapid pace of AI development with the structured pedagogical requirements of sectoral training.

Event programme

The event opens with a dedicated Open Session on the “Strategic Importance of Human-AI Collaboration” followed by three interactive roundtables designed to generate dialogue between education providers, industry representatives and policymakers from across Europe:

Roundtable 1 – Digital tools for training
Education and training resources: AI-driven learning, digital solutions (VR/AR), and the development of harmonised training materials.

Roundtable 2 – Remanufacturing & industrial transformation
Industrial positioning in the AI era, featuring solutions and demonstrations of remanufacturing processes that support a circular economy.

Roundtable 3 – Human ventricity & professional growth
How to attract, retain and empower the workforce. Specific skills needed and how harmonised qualifications can boost professional mobility.

Afternoon session

After lunch, the session “People at the Centre of Industrial Transformation: Remanufacturing and Artificial Intelligence” will explore how people can remain at the centre of an industry transformed by AI and remanufacturing. Connecting education and industry, it will highlight the practical skills, technologies and partnerships shaping talent, innovation and the future of work, drawing on the EU-funded projects listed below.

Why attend?

The event will bring together participants representing both education and industry from several European countries. Together, we will explore meaningful education practices that support training providers and the manufacturing industry in achieving a resilient and humancentric future.

Practical Information

• Date: October 20, 2026
• Venue: Hotel Eurostars, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal
• Language: English
• Admission: Free of charge – registration is mandatory
• Lunch: Provided free of charge – registration is mandatory

Registration

(Source: European Welding Federation)