InterHEI
The Interdisciplinary HEI Entrepreneurship Fostering Program
Initiative:
Research Infrastructure Commercialisation Academy
organized by Lodz University of Technology
supported by the University of Warsaw
Deadline application for 2023 edition: closed
Overview
The RIC Academy is a capacity-building program designed to support aspiring managers and scientists working in publicly funded research infrastructure related to the agri-food sector. It provides participants with highly interactive training and dedicated support by agrifood research and innovation management experts based on best commercialisation practices, tools and techniques to enhance their research infrastructure's commercial use and visibility, identify potential partners and stimulate the science-industry collaboration. It aims to equip participants with the necessary skills to provide innovation support to local or regional stakeholder communities, notably startups and SMEs, build cross-border cooperation, and draw the attention of the national and international key agrifood industry players to their research infrastructure capacities and opportunities.
Phase 2 organized by Lodz University of Technology
The second phase of the RIC Academy will be delivered by the experts in agrifood/health research and innovation management from Lodz University of Technology that were trained and mentored during the first phase of the RIC Academy by the experts from the University of Warsaw. The programme supports HEI’s academic and non-academic staff involved in the management and commercialisation of research infrastructures (RIs) representing Perrotis College, Greece and Marmara University, Turkey. The participants will attend 7 days of online classes and workshops during which they will enhance the research infrastructure, commercial use and visibility, identify potential agrifood partners and stimulate the science-industry collaboration.
The last phase of RIC Academy program will support academic an nonacademic staff from Loyola University, Spain as well as from the Lodz University of Technology, Poland. Highly interactive training will be focused on commercialization of research infrastructure to boost their entrepreneurial skills. The participants will gain the knowledge on the needs of agrifood sector relevant to their equipment and understand the demands of the industry.
Key features
The RIC Academy is focused on supporting academic and non-academic staff (e.g. scientist, manager/director, specialist/technician, researcher, research assistant, commercialisation specialist, IP specialist, etc.) involved in the management and commercialisation of research infrastructure.
The research infrastructure must fall under one of EIT Food's focus areas, including targeted nutrition, sustainable aquaculture, sustainable agriculture, alternative proteins, digital transformation of traceability, and circular food systems.
Training based on highly interactive learning methods allows participants to understand the agrifood sector needs and demands relevant to their equipment and R&D infrastructure.
Lectures offer insights on identifying key technological assets and leveraging research infrastructure for use in commercially oriented activities, including contract R&D for the industry, joint R&D projects, specialized services or spinning off innovative companies.
Benefits
An opportunity to develop profession-related competencies.
Dedicated support from leading experts in agrifood research and innovation management.
Participants do not pay tuition.
Be awarded a professional training certificate.
Beneficiaries
The Program is for all interested in the following:
To enhance research infrastructure's commercial use and visibility.
To identify potential partners and stimulate science-industry collaboration.
To equip participants with the necessary skills to provide innovation support to local or regional stakeholder communities.
To build cross-border collaboration and draw the attention of the national and international key agrifood industry players to their research infrastructure capacities and opportunities.
The RIC Academy is open to all players from RIS countries (link):
Priority will be given to academic and non-academic staff participating involved in the management and commercialisation of research infrastructure, of: the University of Warsaw (Poland), Lodz University of Technology (Poland), Universidad Loyola (Spain), Marmara University (Turkey), PerrotisCollege (Greece), University of Kyiv (Ukraine), Medical University of Lodz (Poland), the University of Agriculture in Krakow (Poland) and the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia).
Program Delivery
The program is comprised of 7 days of online classes, workshops and mentoring sessions followed by several assignments spread across two months and delivered by InterHEI partners’ experts in agrifood research and innovation management, providing their expertise and experience in research infrastructures commercialisation and innovation management relevant to the contemporary agrifood system.
It is highly interactive and features various learning methods (e.g., lectures, presentations, team assignments, Q&A) incorporated with mentoring sessions.
The program ends with each team presentation on their research infrastructure commercialization plan in a final session to InterHEI partners, guests, and officials via online video conference on 29th November 2022 (to be confirmed).
The RIC Academy workshops and mentoring sessions will be run by educators, researchers and experts from the University of Warsaw and Lodz University of Technology.
Contact
If you have any questions about the program you can reach us at:
Iwona Staniec: iwona.staniec@p.lodz.pl
Edyta Milewska: edyta.milewska@p.lodz.pl