Please copy the page for each project meeting Start date/End date of the meeting / Place / Function in the meeting

Report on the action implementation

Please provide an outline of the staff that have participated. What were the selection criteria for those participants in this particular meeting.

Nick Bennett – University of Portsmouth, UK; Fernando Merello – University of Cadiz, Spain; Nicolay Sadovski, Elena Arhipova – University of Vladaimir, Russia; Alexander Levshov, Alexander Anoprienko, Ludmila Rudenko, Igor Motilyov, Sergey Dzhura, Victor Chursinov – Donetsk University, Ukraine; Jolanta Pacura, Ewa Królikowska – University of Łódź (administrators), Ewa Postolska, Maria Głowacka, Dariusz Trzmielak – University of Lodz (trainers). The group of participants consisted of EU trainers experienced in the field of business/industry – academia cooperation, and of trainees from PC universities. The two participants from Russia took part only in the workshop – their study visit in Lodz will take place next year. Six Ukrainian trainees attended the workshop, and three stayed on for the study visit. Such small number of study visit participants ensured detailed insight in problems and very ‘focused’ discussions.

Describe the “idea” of the meeting

What knowledge or experience was supposed to deliver? What were your expectations?

All the presentations, visits and discussions performed during the workshop and study visit were aimed at showing the participants examples of industry/academia cooperation – institutions or units, offers, procedures, and strategies, at sharing the EU partners’ experience and expertise in this field, as well as at encouraging them to follow some solutions, adjusting them to local conditions. The EU partners had an opportunity to compare each other’s solutions in this area.

Achievement level

What have you learned? What was the added value of the meeting? Please describe.

The project results and the problems encountered were discussed. Solutions to those problems were suggested. A decision was made to develop reports (activity and finance) long before the reporting date due and even though the financial report of the first year of the project is not required by the Commission in order to have a clear view of the spendings and to facilitate making the final report.

During the workshop the participants were told (Business Council) about the cooperation between the University of Lodz and potential employers who help to structure curricula to satisfy their needs. That is how new study courses are developed (e.g. logistics, information science for engineers, etc.) The employers are also invited to deliver lectures, to organize trainings and work placements.

Career Office presented its offer for students and graduates: organisation of trainings, job fairs, work placements, etc. On its website they can find job offers.

The trainers from the UL spoke about academic incubators and technology transfer centres in Poland, in the Lodz region, and in the UL; also about technology parks in Poland and about the involvement of the UL Foundation and TTC in local and regional programmes. Lodz Regional Development Agency presented its activities, the situation of SMEs in the region, as well as the offer the Agency has for them. LORIS project and the analysis of regional needs were discussed.

In Lodz City Office trainees were acquainted with the local strategy for investors and investments, the counselling and training programmes for entrepreneurs, with their cooperation with universities, and generally – with the current situation and the development plans for the city.

The UL Vice-Rector for Research informed the project partners about research carried out at the university and how funding towards research activities is acquired. He also spoke about the UL strategy to establish priority areas of activity and to develop interdisciplinary research projects. The plans for establishing a nano-centre were presented . A heated discussion on research budgets in partners universities and on the international cooperation in research followed.

The trainer from Cadiz University had a presentation on “Managing Tech Transfer in a Public University – the Experience of the University of Cadiz”, whereas Portsmouth University representative spoke about their university initiative “Purple Door” – a service for business, public and voluntary sector organizations and individual entrepreneurs. The service offers students and graduates work experience and careers in the filed of their choice, relevant volunteering or work experience opportunities.

A visit to the Lignite Mine and the Electric Power Plant in Belchatow during which the current situation in the energy sector in Poland and the plans for its development were presented, closed the workshop week.

In Lodz Film School they learned about clusters, with focus on the media cluster created in the Lodz region – its structure, participants and goals.

They also visited the company JOTES – a grinding machines manufacturer with long and rich tradition. Plans for future cooperation and student exchange were discussed. At the Department of Chemical Technology and Environment Protection they met researchers, and at the same time owners of private companies, who cooperate closely with industry and use the results of their own research.

In Lodz Special Economic Zone the trainees were informed about the city offer foe entrepreneurs and large companies and factories.

On the last day of their stay in Poland the visitors went to Belchatowsko Kleszczowski Technopark to learn about its structure, objectives, sources of funding, its offer for business and broadly understood science, about projects implemented. In the Foundation for the Kleszczow County (the richest county in Poland) Development the partners were told about the Foundation’s goals and activity which consist, among other things, in preparing infrastructure for industry. The area, the companies and the housing estate for their employees were presented.

UE PARTNERS Literature

Please provide reference literature available.

See fold: “Literature” in the project Intranet.


Any other comments/Recommendations/Future Expectations

In this entry please provide any relevant information you consider useful for the assessment of our project implementation.

The meeting was assessed as valuable by the PC partners. The Ukrainians have decided to hold a seminar on the project with the participation of local administration, members of business and other universities to present the project results and to work out a concept of changing the role of Donetsk Technical University in the local conditions.

A session for Sevastopol conference in September 2009 was prepared where the results of the project will be reported on and new opportunities of cooperation with business, based on the project experience, will be discussed.

Besides, the Ukrainian partners are going to establish some new units at their university, and to suggest some solutions seen to the local administration. The university units will be equipped with the new equipment purchased from the project grant.

Also the Russian partners have decided to organize a meeting of all participants of the project to discuss the results and the interim reports.