Open Innovation Platform for University–Enterprise Collaboration: new product, business and human capital development

"The project objective is to create for partner universities new type of platform for collaboration with enterprises. The developing platform serves as a sustainable set of value added collaborative activities with enterprises in invention and improvement of product/services. The main feature of the platform is an easy access for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to universities' and alumni’s' expertise in design research, prototyping, engineering, materials, technologies, and product/service development methodologies. Core of the platform is industrial design and innovation management practices that integrate universities', SMEs and alumni’s expertise around building product/services prototypes, and follow on commercial validations. The main feature is realized by the following outcomes/outputs to develop in the frames of joint project: (1) Trainings and executive programs to improve new product/service development competences of enterprises' staff:- Trainings in innovation management and design research instruments and methodologies: ""design thinking approach"", ""TRIZ"", ""Rapid prototyping"", ""agile instruments to manage new product development"", - Executive program ""New Product/Service Development"". (2) Facilities in partner universities integrated into “Collaborative Open Innovation Labs"" with the following functional zones:- Zone for co-creation teams' work over concepts development, brainstorming, raw prototyping, and coordination meetings. - Zone for developing skills in rapid prototyping.- Zone for entrepreneurial co-creation activities in developing and validating business concepts over new product/service.(3) Management procedures and services among “Collaborative Open Innovation Labs” for multi-country co-creation activities in developing and validating concept of new product/service at other (cross-boarder) markets;(4) Dissemination of accumulated expertise and project experience among universities."