Ghent (BE), August 2011 - U&I Learning, an eLearning integrator with headquarters in Ghent, has reeled in a new contract at the European Commission, with an estimated value of one million euros. The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission wants to lower the threshold for European SMEs wanting to participate in, e.g. framework programs for research and technological development.
"Large corporations can usually count on their experts, but SMEs often have a hard time seeing the forest for the trees. eLearning platforms can solve this problem", says Jean-Philippe Schepens, general manager at U&I Learning Belgium.
According to Mr. Schepens, U&I Learning will deliver "integrated eLearning 2.0" to the EC. "This means that traditional web conferences will be infused with active participation through discussion boards and social media." "Serious gaming" is also part of the package. "The concept of serious gaming may look like hype, but we at U&I Learning are aware of the pedagogical advantages it offers. It's all about creating a learning environment in which the student are able to discover the know-how they need. We were able to convince the EC to integrate serious gaming into the learning package."
The Commission chose U&I Learning from among 27 candidates. "Other players remain faithful to a single technology. We differentiate ourselves from the competition by focusing on the pedagogical side of the story." U&I Learning have already held a major four-year eLearning framework contract at the EC with an estimated value of 7.2 million euros.
For U&I, last year's economically challenging conditions resulted in an estimated revenue of 10.26 million euros, a decline of 4.6% compared to 2009, with an EBITDA of 781,000 euros. The company expects a modest recovery in 2011, with new projects for Carrefour, Pfizer, Roche, Adecco, and many others.
