Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb

ERASMUS + project "Virtual Open Innovation Environment for SMEs" (VOIS)

Based on the Decision on granting financial support for project proposals under the Erasmus+ Call for Project Proposals for 2021, the Agency for Mobility and Programmes accepted project funding under the KA220-VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training activities entitled project collaborators “Virtual Open Innovation Environment for SMEs” (VOIS). Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb is a partner on the project. Project’s lead is Professor Marina Dabić, PhD, and collaborators on the project are Ivana Kovač, PhD,  and Tena Obradović Posinković, MA.

A total of 7 partners from Croatia, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Finland, and Greece will participate in the project activities. Two partners are higher education institutions: Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb (Republic of Croatia), and Lappeenrannan-Lahden Teknillinen Yliopisto Lut (Finland), while the remaining partners are non-profit organizations focused on social, academic and entrepreneurial development: Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wspierania Edukacji I Przedsiebiorczosci (Poland), Emporiko Kai Viomichaniko Epimelitirio Herakliou (Greece), Hanse-Parlament Ev (Germany), and small and medium-sized enterprises: assist Gesellschaft für Unternehmensberatung und Personalentwicklung mbH (Germany), and E&D Knowledge Consulting, LDA(Portugal).

The main objective of the project is to develop an integrated tool to support the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in open innovation and the development of their competences, while the main target group is managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in low-tech industries related to agri-food and bioeconomic sectors.

The VOIS project aims to encourage managers of SMEs to engage effectively in open innovation activities (either in the scope of MPS cooperation or as a participant in large multi-organizational projects). This will enable SMEs in low-tech industries to actively take place in relevant innovations and ensure the sustainability of their business.

Within the project, the partnership will aim to develop a comprehensive solution that enables SMEs to effectively improve their open innovation competences and ability to apply open innovations in their companies.

 

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