Piloting communities of expert facilitators to improve industry-academia-public sector co-creation (CSA)

Topic description

ExpectedOutcome:

Proposals are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Strengthen the base for industry-academia collaboration in the higher education institutions in the European Union and Associated Countries and help fostering skills addressing industry and public sector needs;
• Facilitate industry and SMEs to capitalise on the diversity of R&I talents, skills and cultures across the European Union and Associated Countries and spread novel approaches for industry-academia-public sector co-creation in cross-border manner;
• Boost valorisation of excellent research results and innovation, i.e. transforming them into sustainable solutions with economic and social value.

There is a clear need to improve industry-academia interactions in Europe^[1] and enhance knowledge valorisation^[2] in innovation ecosystems. The role of intermediaries, e.g. industry clusters, science and innovation parks which can provide a collaboration platform and facilitate co-creation is relevant in this context. Methodologies for improved industry-academia co-creation through expert facilitation offer possibilities for higher education institutions to better meet the needs for innovation from the industry, business side and public sector. The diverse pool of R&I talents at the higher education institutions across Europe constitutes a vast source for creativity which should be fully capitalised for innovation.^[3]

This action will pilot communities of expert facilitators for increasing knowledge exchange and co-creation between industry, academia and public sector and help matching the supply and demand for innovation. This action will link professionals in industry-academia-public sector collaboration, build communities of expert facilitators for industry-academia co-creation and disseminate best practices and know-how for demand-driven industry-academia collaboration across Europe. This will include training a wider community of expert facilitators in higher education institutions across Europe.

This action should integrate appropriate Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, with appropriate experts and/or partners, in order to produce outcomes enhancing its societal impact. Particular attention should be paid to promoting gender-responsive and inclusive research and innovation outputs.

This action could also explore complementarities with already existing instruments in the field of university-business cooperation, such as the EIT Knowledge Innovation Communities, EIT HEI Initiative, Erasmus+ Alliances for Innovation, European Skills Agenda and relevant national and regional activities.

[1]Council conclusions on "Accelerating knowledge circulation in the EU" adopted on 29 May 2018; SRIP Report - Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU 2020.

[2]Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/2122 of 26 November 2021 on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (ST/13701/2021/INIT)

[3]Policy Report “Towards a 2030 Vision on the Future of Universities in Europe” https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/towards-2030-vision-future-universities-field-ri-europe_en