The general objective of the project is to advance employment and self-employment potential of graduates from WBC and enhance innovativeness of companies by fostering students entrepreneurship, creation of business start-ups and open innovation approach in collaboration between universities and enterprises. The project will achieve this by developing a co-creative and supportive environment – iDEA Lab network which will encourage and foster students entrepreneurial intent and at the same time support open innovation approach.
Specific objectives are:
• To set up, equip and network co-creative centres (iDEA labs) to support students to generate, develop and commercialize their own innovative ideas through entrepreneurship and/or open innovation
• To foster student entrepreneurship and start-up creation at university settings by improving infrastructure, entrepreneurial culture and skills
• To introduce and implement open innovation as a new form of partnership among key stakeholders in knowledge triangle in WBC
• To revise and adapt curricula to include entrepreneurial skills and problem-based learning
These objectives should be achieved through synergetic partnership of 3 RS, 3 BA and 2 ME HEIs, representing public and private sector, 9 WBC organisations representing key stakeholders (including students), 3 well known EU HEIs and 3 non-academic EU partners with extensive experience in dealing with entrepreneurship, open innovation and international projects.
The principal results will include: 6 iDEA labs and their network in WBC with trained staff; developed and realized trainings for students and companies, established regional Market for ideas, developed students start-ups and open innovations with companies, revised and adapted curricula. These results will provide infrastructural resources necessary to secure project sustainability beyond its lifetime. Results and best practice will be actively diffused and exploited at national, regional and European level.