NEWS
RUN-EU launches the FILS Programme and expands its Hub network
21 July 2026
Following the successful launch of the FILS HUB in 2025, the 2025–2026 academic year marked the first Alliance-wide implementation of the RUN-EU FILS Programme, representing a significant step towards the progressive institutionalisation of STEAM education across the Alliance. Through the expansion of the FILS HUB network and the activation of local FILS programmes at partner institutions, RUN-EU has strengthened collaboration between universities, schools and regional communities while laying the foundations for a sustainable European ecosystem that will continue to grow in the coming years.
During the academic year, each partner institution implemented a structured FILS programme tailored to its regional context while following a common pedagogical framework developed collaboratively across the Alliance. Through makerspaces, workshops, challenge-based learning activities and interdisciplinary projects, children and young people aged 6 to 17 developed STEAM competences alongside key transversal skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving.
The FILS HUB network now connects innovation and science centres across the Alliance, including La Estación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (University of Burgos), Mind & Makerspace (Howest), Challenge Lab (NHL Stenden), Design Factory (HAMK), Future Innovation Labs (IPCA), Centro de Ciência Viva do Alviela – Carsoscópio (IPLeiria), Taste – Food and Tourism Education (TUS), Netzwerk MINKT and Inatura (FHV), together with the newly incorporated TUL LAB (Technical University of Liberec) and the Microproduction Hall for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (University of Galați), further expanding the Alliance’s innovation ecosystem.
The first year of implementation engaged more than 640 children and young people across Europe, strengthening connections between higher education institutions, schools, vocational education providers and local communities. By creating accessible, practice-oriented learning environments, the programme has contributed to increasing interest in STEAM disciplines while promoting innovation and community engagement from an early age.
One of the most significant outcomes of this collaborative work has been the approval of the Erasmus+ KA3 project TINKERVERSE – SkillBuilders Lab: Tinker, Discover, Learn!, developed by five RUN-EU partner institutions. This new initiative will establish a transnational network of educational Maker Spaces, further reinforcing the Alliance’s long-term commitment to innovative STEAM education and supporting the objectives of the European Pact for Skills.
As the FILS Programme continues to evolve, RUN-EU is consolidating a sustainable European model for STEAM promotion that combines educational innovation, regional engagement and international collaboration, creating lasting opportunities for future generations of learners across the Alliance.
