Researches and projects

SMART Innovation Centres for the Development of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Thinking to Facilitate the Development of Sustainable Smart Solutions in the Western Balkans

The SMART project supports partner HEIs from target countries, Albania, Bosnia&Herzegovina, and Montenegro, to transcend their role as knowledge providers and become active shapers of the regional innovation ecosystem cooperating with various stakeholders.

The project aims at targeting the existing gap between HE outcomes and labour market demands by:

• Addressing the challenges of HEIs in the field of smart specialisation and the related innovation & entrepreneurship competence development with the introduction of new smart specialisation-related learning modules and innovative teaching approaches into HEIs’ curricula, including online teaching, cross-curricular learning, and virtual mobility.
• Supporting the professional development of HEIs academic staff in the field of innovation & entrepreneurship competence development for the requirements of smart specialisation along with hybrid & online teaching practices.
• Setting up 7 SMART Innovation Centres at HEIs and integrating them into the existing HEI structure
• Facilitating sustainable cooperation between HEIs and the business sector through the SMART Knowledge Exchange Network
• Encouraging student and staff work placements and (virtual) mobility.

During the project, 84 staff will be trained in the project topics, 14 of them will work in the newly established innovation centres along with 21 trained students from partner HEIs. The SMART Knowledge Exchange Network will offer ample opportunities for networking, training & counselling opportunities to multiple stakeholders of the regional innovation ecosystem.

In addition, 210 ambassadors of smart specialisation will be trained, and 250+ new stakeholders will be reached through the Network undertakings during the project implementation, while SMART Innovation Centres aim at being fully operational and sustainable also after the project completion by offering counselling&training services in the smart specialisation area, especially to the business sector.

Project is Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.