TWINNING ACTIVITIES 2019
Project representatives visited follower RTOs and discussed actions with each of them in order to homogenize their approach towards SMEs and to prepare them to be among the follower RTOs of KETGATE in an official way.
In a first round of on-site visits, we met 4 RTOs, two in Czech Republic and two in Poland, and then we performed a similar visit to one RTO in Slovenia.
The main results of the performed twinning visits are concrete action plans within KETGATE that pave the way to the sustainability and the profitability of the KETGATE points way beyond the end of the project.
In a workshop held in Stuttgart on the, 12th of April 2019, it was decided that the twinning programmes would take place from 24th – 26th June 2019 in Czech Republic and Poland. Csaba Edelényi (BZN), Gyöngyvér Lenkey Biró (BZN) and Daniele Cozzi (JR) will perform the twinning sessions.
Tomaz Lutman (JSI) will visit at least one Slovenian RTOs on the 9th of July, supported by Daniele Cozzi (JR) and Maria Belegratis (JR).
Finally, it was decided also that at least representatives of two RTOs must participate in each twinning session along with internal experts on topics of interest.
Twinning where and when
a) Palacky University Olomouc – Science and Technology Park, Olomouc (CZ), on 24th June
b) Ostrava University of Technology – Protolab, Ostrava (CZ), on 24th June
c) Central Mining Institute, Katowice (PL), on 25th June
d) University of Katowice, Katowice (PL), on 25th June
e) Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw, (PL), on 26th June.
f) ZAG - Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, on 9th July.
The main objective of the KETGATE project is to create a network of access points for SMEs, where they can find not only answers to their technical requirements, but also support for their development and innovative capacity through the optimal use of the potential of Key Enabling Technologies. In order to be able to give professional and complete answers to the requests of SMEs, the network of KET Technology Providers, or RTOs, must be as wide, qualified and complete as possible. This is why mentoring and twinning activities were essential to lay the foundations for a fruitful collaboration between RTOs, the so-called "followers", who supplement the international scientific offer of the three RTOs that are partners in the KETGATE project.
As always, getting to know colleagues and interlocutors personally is the best way to lay the foundations for a lasting collaboration, and it is precisely in this sense that we have carried out the twinning and mentoring activities described in this deliverable.
In order to focus the concepts of "mentoring" and "twinning" well, we held an initial workshop with all KETGATE partners and according to what emerged, we then planned the twinning activities, which we decided to take the form of technical visits to RTOs followers with associated workshops, brain storming or discussion on concrete actions in order to consolidate the collaboration in KETGATE even after the end of the project.
The RTOs visited responded enthusiastically to this proposal and all were collaborative and proactive. We were able to meet with excellent academics and define a series of concrete activities such as: research of appropriate European and national projects, organization of international thematic events, deepening of specific scientific issues, focusing on the needs of SMEs.
Finally, the most important objective was achieved: all RTOs declared their willingness to actively participate in KETGATE, making the offer in the various sectors of KETs absolutely avant-garde in Central Europe.
