WP1 – Project Management and Coordination

Lead: POLITEHNICA Bucharest (UNSTPB) · November 2023 – November 2026

WP1 keeps the nine-partner consortium aligned: planning, monitoring, quality assurance and reporting to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Main results so far

  • Five transnational project meetings: kick-off in Milan (26–27 February 2024), Da Nang (18–19 July 2024), Penang (5–6 December 2024), Bucharest (19–20 May 2025) and Lyon (27–28 November 2025), plus three online coordination meetings.
  • Interim progress report submitted to EACEA for the period 24 November 2023 – 31 May 2025.
  • Final conference and final project meeting planned in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, 25–26 November 2026.
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D1.1Quality and evaluation reportsUNSTPBContinuous update – 2026
D1.2Progress report to EACEAUNSTPBDelivered
D1.3Final report to EACEAUNSTPBPlanned – Jan 2027
D1.4Kick-off meeting report – MilanUNSTPBDelivered
D1.52nd meeting report – Da NangUNSTPBDelivered
D1.63rd meeting report – PenangUNSTPBDelivered
D1.74th meeting report – BucharestUNSTPBDelivered
D1.85th meeting report – LyonUNSTPBDelivered
D1.9Final meeting reportUNSTPBPlanned – Nov 2026

WP2 – Deploying the Learning Management System and Innovative Curriculum Design

Lead: POLITEHNICA Bucharest (UNSTPB) · November 2023 – November 2024 · completed

WP2 built the evidence base, the curriculum and the digital platform on which all SOHO courses run.

Main results

  • Training Needs Analysis (D2.1) – 254 respondents in six countries (134 university teachers, 120 students and tourism professionals) rated 28 smart-tourism topics; the average competence gap was over one point on a five-point scale, with the largest gaps in smart-technology topics.
  • Training curriculum (D2.2) – a competency-based curriculum with three modules: Sustainable Transportation in Tourism, Smart Renewable Energy and Smart Sustainable Accommodation.
  • Learning Management System (D2.3) – Moodle platform at moodle.sohoproject.eu with 18 course spaces (three modules for each of the six Asian partner universities), digital badges and micro-credentials.
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D2.1Training Needs Analysis reportUNSTPBDelivered
D2.2Training curriculumULLDelivered
D2.3LMS platform – moodle.sohoproject.euUNSTPBLive

WP3 – Development of Training Materials and Curriculum for Tourism Industry Learners

Lead: Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) · December 2024 – August 2026

WP3 turned the curriculum into three complete courses, designed for two audiences: specialist trainers and the non-technical tourism workforce.

Main results

  • Sustainable Transportation in Tourism (ULL) – sustainable public transport and Mobility-as-a-Service, tourist mobility data, smart-city transport, decarbonisation indicators.
  • Smart Renewable Energy (POLIMI) – photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems, yield and performance assessment, sizing, storage and techno-economic evaluation.
  • Smart Sustainable Accommodation (UNSTPB) – IoT and smart devices in buildings, sensors and actuators, lighting and climate control, energy monitoring platforms, KNX / Modbus / BACnet, building automation.
  • All materials – lecture presentations, interactive H5P activities, exercises and assessment banks – are available on the SOHO Moodle platform.
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D3.1Smart transportation training modulesULLDelivered
D3.2Smart Sustainable Accommodation training modulesUNSTPBDelivered
D3.3Smart renewable energy training modulesPOLIMIDelivered

WP4 – Intensive Training Sessions and Assessment

Lead: Université Lumière Lyon 2 (ULL) · September 2025 – October 2026

WP4 trains the academic staff of the six Asian partner universities (train-the-trainer), assesses the courses and integrates them into the partners’ curricula.

Main results so far

  • Five intensive training weeks: Lyon, 15–19 June 2026 (Sustainable Transportation); Milano, 22–26 June 2026 (Smart Renewable Energy); Da Nang, 7–11 September 2026; Dhaka, 14–18 September 2026; Penang, 21–25 September 2026 (Smart Sustainable Accommodation).
  • 17 academic staff from six universities trained in the European weeks; certificates with a competence profile issued after each week.
  • More than 1,100 students already enrolled in the SOHO course spaces on Moodle.
  • Curriculum-integration reports from the partner universities, embedding the SOHO courses in their own programmes.
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D4.1Training certificatesULLIn progress – Oct 2026
D4.2Training delivery, evaluation and assessment reportULLIn progress – Oct 2026
D4.3Integration of the training into university curriculaULLIn progress – Oct 2026

WP5 – Enhanced Knowledge & Competence Centres Development and Recommendations for Policy Makers

Lead: University of Technology and Education – The University of Danang (UTE) · March 2025 – November 2026

WP5 establishes Knowledge & Competence Centres in the three partner regions – hubs for training, innovation and stakeholder engagement in smart and sustainable tourism – and prepares policy recommendations for national authorities.

Main results so far

  • Da Nang, Vietnam – the HUB – Enhanced Knowledge & Competence Centre for Smart and Sustainable Tourism, launched at The University of Danang in October 2025.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh – Competence Centre at AIUB, launched with the September 2026 training week; Jahangirnagar University contributes staff and students.
  • Penang / Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – centre under Universiti Sains Malaysia and UTAR.
  • Industry engagement: talk show “Tourism and Smart Hotels” with Marriott International Vietnam and the Da Nang Tourism Association (7 September 2026).
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D5.1Advocacy pack and policy recommendationsUDIn progress – Nov 2026
D5.2Mid- and long-term action planUDIn progress – Nov 2026

WP6 – Impact Analysis and Dissemination

Lead: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) · January 2024 – November 2026

WP6 makes the project and its results visible in Europe and in the three partner regions and measures its impact.

Main results so far

  • Project website sohoproject.eu online since December 2023; news section with all partner coverage.
  • About 90 dissemination activities recorded by the partners: national press and TV in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Malaysia, university news, conferences, seminars and open days.
  • Joint scientific paper: Tamim, Z. H. et al. (2025), Exploring equitable opportunities and cultural preservation in smart tourism through sustainable and accessible Virtual Reality, Sustainable Cities and Society: Advances, 1(1) – doi:10.1016/j.scsadv.2025.100007.
  • Book “Rhythm in Digital Buildings and Smart Infrastructure” in preparation with Springer.
DeliverableTitleLeadStatus
D6.1Impact assessment reportUSMPlanned – Nov 2026
D6.2Communication and dissemination planUSMIn progress – Nov 2026
D6.3Dissemination materialsUSMIn progress – Nov 2026
D6.4Project websiteUNSTPBLive