Enhancing Capabilities of Micro-SMEs in the Furniture Sector through a Digital Internationalisation Learning Hub
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Micro and small-sized enterprises (micro-SMEs) in Europe’s furniture sector continue to face significant obstacles to internationalisation, including limited digital skills, constrained resources, and a lack of strategic market insight. In response to these challenges, the INT4FURN project—supported by Erasmus+ Key Action 2—has developed a Digital Internationalisation Learning Hub designed to build international business competencies through modular training aligned with the ECVET framework. This paper offers a critical analysis of the platform, examining its pedagogical approach, structural design, and core features, including thematic learning modules, multilingual glossaries, instructional videos, and self-assessment tools. Drawing on a qualitative case study methodology, the findings indicate that the platform provides a user-centred, mobile-accessible, and digitally inclusive learning experience, tailored specifically to the needs of micro-SMEs. While challenges such as digital literacy and learner engagement remain, the INT4FURN hub emerges as a scalable, innovative solution that contributes meaningfully to vocational education and supports the broader goals of digital and sustainable transformation within traditional manufacturing industries.
Institution: Gazi University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7117678785