EWF Announces 3rd Edition of Professionals of the Future

PORTO SALVO, Portugal - July 6, 2026 - PRLog -- 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 the 20^th of October 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

Roundtable 2 – Remanufacturing & Industrial Transformation

Roundtable 3 – Human Centricity & Professional Growth

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.

Practical Information

• Date: 20 October 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: Workshop - Professionals of the Future [20 October 2026] (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Y2ZDN...)