Building Ecosystem Integration Labs in HEI project

The project is coordinated by the University of Oviedo, Spain.

Aim of the project

The project was created to strengthen the building of innovation capacity in Europe, striving for long-term sustainable development using the idea of the circular economy in order to modernize the raw materials and extractive sectors. The idea behind the circular economy is that the value of products, materials and resources is kept in the economy for as long as possible and the generation of waste is kept to a minimum. These activities make an important contribution to the EU’s efforts to develop a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient and competitive economy.

The project aims to strengthen partnerships between higher education, business and research organizations by developing an innovative pathway for entrepreneurial universities.

HEI4S3-RM is implemented as part of the EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology) HEI (Higher education institutions) Initiative, which is a key goal of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) as part of its new strategy, the EIT strategic innovation plan for 2021–2027.

Methodology

HEI4S3-RM project is conducted according to the methodology. Accessible with favorable conditions (organizational, didactic, research, innovations and leading innovations) included in the research inter-departmental conditions, cooperating within the consortium (between) Integrated Ecosystem Laboratories (EILs).

It includes the following activities:

– building ecosystem integration laboratories in each of the 6 HEIs to support smart specialization and innovation in the field of sustainable raw materials
– promoting concrete actions for a broader entrepreneurial culture and teaching innovation and entrepreneurship in academia
– process management with the use of Management Boards by universities, involving management and non-academic specialists
– building the capacity of specific multidisciplinary support structures that will be involved in managing the process of “HEI4S3-RM Innovators”
– exchange of good practice between EU universities

Challenges

The main challenge is to connect small and medium-sized but efficient universities with regional and local innovation ecosystems in the field of circular economy activities in the raw materials and mining sectors.

An important issue during the course is also reaching out to undergraduate and graduate students and doctoral students by encouraging them, inter alia, to participate in the Erasmus+ program, which would, among other things, improve the mobility of learners.

The key element is the integration of scientific communities in various parts. The key element is the integration of scientific communities in various parts of Europe as part of common challenges related to the circular economy and adaptation to the occurring climate changes.

For whom?

The project is aimed at European higher education institutions, which, thanks to this initiative, can become regional engines of innovation and support sustainable economic growth and create jobs across Europe. The universities and non-academic institutions working in the project are listed below.

Universities:

University of Oviedo – Spain
University of Huelva – Spain
Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Timisoara – Romania
Technical University of Georg Agricola – Germany
Lapland University of Applied Sciences – Finland
International Hellenic University – Greece

Non-academic institutions:

Mining and Metallurgy Institute Bor (MMI Bor) – Serbia
Geological Survey of Slovenia – Slovenia
Pheno Horizon – Poland


Source: Pheno Horizon (http://phenohorizon.com/en/building-ecosystem-integration-labs-in-hei-project/)

For further information about this project, please contact:
sirpa.kokko(a)lapinamk.fi