The International Open Innovation Training

The International Open Innovation Training (IOIT) course, a pioneering educational venture, exemplified the effective utilization of diverse resources in its development and execution. In WUST, the course was ingeniously hosted on its robust online platform. Simultaneously, ULL showcased remarkable collaboration by redirecting its students – both from university and non-university backgrounds – to the course’s content. This synergy was further enhanced by ULL’s strategic move to incentivize participation through the awarding of 1 ECTS for students completing the course via its university extension programs. An intriguing aspect of this course was the mentorship opportunity offered to students who excelled in Task 1, showcasing original, market-viable ideas.

The backbone of the IOIT was its human and physical resources. The academic staff of all project’s partners played a pivotal role in content development and delivery, ensuring the course’s educational rigor and relevance. In terms of physical resources, the IT infrastructure was fundamental, facilitating seamless access and interaction with the course materials.

A significant focus of the IOIT’s development lay in its content materials, didactic preparation, and student activity management. Leveraging various presentations from webinars, certificate courses, and other events, the team compiled an enriched curriculum into diverse IOIT modules. The employment of a training manager was a strategic move, ensuring the content’s effective presentation and the establishment of clear learning paths and objectives for each module. The management of student activities, such as excursions, required meticulous coordination, considering the limited proportion of student teaching at the FIR.

The course’s lectures were expertly developed by the academic staff of HIT, underlining the program’s academic rigor. Notably, the program was integrated into HIT’s first and second-degree curricula, managed entirely by HIT’s non-academic staff. This integration was key to providing a holistic educational experience. The program also stood out for its academic incentives, fostering student engagement and motivation. The culmination of these efforts was evident in the success and satisfaction derived from the International Diploma awarded to the students, a testament to the well-orchestrated resource utilization in this innovative educational endeavour.

Methodology:

The training was fully developed and organized online on eportal.pwr.edu.pl Moodle platform powered by Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. They developed the virtual platform hosting all the necessary materials for the training. (For more details on the IOIT Platform see Deliverable 4.6 Implementing of International Open Innovation Training)

Each IDEATION partner involved in the training submitted a list of participants who signed up for the common IOIT platform via google form. The training was provided with 20 academic hours course composed of 3 main modules:

Module 1 – Innovation & Entrepreneurship,

Module 2 – Open innovation,

Module 3 – Social Product Development.

To successfully complete the training, each participant was required to choose and watch a minimum of 10 videos from the presentations within these modules. Before the program officially started, speakers recorded their lectures and provided single-choice questions gauge students’ knowledge both before and after viewing the videos. Upon successful completion of the training, each participant received an International Certificate. This certificate, acknowledging the accomplishment of the IOIT, was signed by all IDEATION partners.

The training comprised a 20-hour academic course, organized into three main modules (outlined below). Students had the flexibility to choose the topic they wanted to explore. The learning process involved taking a quiz to assess their initial understanding, then watching a video, followed by another quiz to evaluate what they had learned. Completing both questionnaires and watching the video was a prerequisite to consider the activity successfully completed.

Module 1 – Innovation & Entrepreneurship

With this module, participants focused on becoming familiar with the phenomenon of entrepreneurship from a business process perspective. They gained a modern understanding of innovative entrepreneurship, sources of innovation, and the management of innovative organizations (integrating technological, market, and organizational changes). Ultimately, participants became acquainted with the factors contributing to the success or failure of a company, understanding their measures and sources, and identifying funding sources for innovative enterprises.

Module 2 – Open Innovation

With this module, participants gained skills in the design of technological processes for products, covering aspects such as production volume and product manufacturability. They acquired skills in preparing business plans and employing fast, effective methods for presenting business ideas to attract investors. Additionally, participants developed the ability to create and measure customer value using dedicated tools. Ultimately, participants acquired the ability to think and act in a creative and logical manner, solving posed problems and defining priorities for task implementation.

Module 3 – Social Product Development

With this module, participants were able to critically analyse business information to achieve economic, social, and environmental goals. They acquired knowledge to leverage the force of crowdsourcing and crowd financing during the development of products tailored to market needs. Additionally, skills were developed in searching for actual products that address defined technical problems.

Mentoring Program:

For students seeking guidance on their innovation and entrepreneurship business ideas, they gained access to the mentoring program. The mentees were recruited by completing tasks on the Idea Up platform or through additional recruitment (for example, for teams that had ideas for innovative products/solutions). Mentors were selected based on their experience in business development, Design Thinking (for the idea development phase), pitching and presentation, IPR issues, etc. This ensured coverage of all aspects of business development for the students’ innovative ideas.

Innovative ideas were submitted by IOIT students via the Moodle platform. Within the mentoring program, students developed their ideas with mentors and experts. The final versions of the innovative ideas were presented during Demo Day in front of a jury panel consisting of external experts. Their initiatives were evaluated, and the most promising and innovative ideas were chosen. Finally, a mentor best suited to their needs was selected. Mentors were provided by the partners.

A mentor in IDEA UP is an experienced and thoughtful leader committed to assisting in the growth and development of IOIT participants. During the mentoring program, the mentor shared their knowledge, experience, and wisdom, acting as a guide and role model. At the end of the mentoring activity, students developed a prototype of the product, created a draft of a crowdfunding campaign for it, and prepared a business plan based on the business model canvas.

Outcomes:

The success of the IOIT program is attributed to the dedicated involvement and unique contributions of various stakeholders, each playing a pivotal role in shaping the course’s outcome.

At ULL, the approach to managing the IOIT was notably self-reliant. ULL did not seek or receive external support or contributions that influenced the course results. This autonomous strategy involved using ULL’s resources for tasks such as disseminating information, monitoring enrolment, and evaluating course activities. The institution’s commitment to handling these crucial elements internally ensured a cohesive and self-sustained execution of the program, reflecting its capacity to manage and oversee the academic program independently.

While ULL maintained an internally focused approach, the IOIT itself was developed and operated at a consortium level, implying a broader collaborative framework. This consortium approach highlights the importance of collective effort and a shared vision in educational initiatives.

Although direct external stakeholder support was not explicitly utilized for IOIT, inside FIR, the program did benefit indirectly from collaborations. Some of the content adapted for IOIT was developed in conjunction with partner companies and other entities based at the Smart Logistics Cluster. HIT’s engagement with IOIT illustrates comprehensive stakeholder involvement. Here, all echelons of the educational and administrative hierarchy actively participated in the program. This involvement ranged from first and second-degree students to the HIT Research Authority and top management, including the President and the Rector. Additionally, academic staff from various departments, such as The Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, The Faculty of Instructional Technologies, and The Department of Digital Medical Technologies, were integral to the program. This wide spectrum of involvement ensured a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach, enriching the program with diverse perspectives and expertise.

In summary, the success of the IOIT program can be attributed to a blend of self-reliance and collaborative efforts at the consortium level. The internal human resources of each partner involved collectively contributed to the comprehensive and effective execution of the IOIT program.