A Partnership of European  vocational training providers and enterprise support agencies has formed a consortium  to develop a new European Innovation and Enterprise Academy.

The consortium will establish a training capability in innovation and enterprise management skills to suit the needs of businesses, public organisations and students across Europe by using the latest expertise and experiences from a diverse range of international cultures and business environments.

Through the Academy local organisations and individuals will be able to directly access the skills and resources from leading innovation and business development practitioners in countries across the EU including; Finland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Acquired skills will then able to be applied within small businesses (SMEs) and start-ups for the direct benefit of the local region.

The Academy’s training portfolio will contain all aspects of innovation and enterprise skills that are currently in demand from businesses including;

•        Open and Customer Lead Innovation

•        Product & Process Innovation

•        Creativity

•        Leadership

•        Market Impact

•        Intellectual Property

•        Funding

The Academy will deliver its training locally through a blended learning platform that provides a mix of online and direct coaching so ensuring high levels of learning retention and optimum use of time available. The Academy development programme started 2010 and be ready by the academic year 2011-12.

Consortium Partners:

Birmingham City University (UK)

SAXEED Centre for Entrepreneurship (Germany)

The Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Zaragoza (Spain)

Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland)

Associate Partner: Strawberry Fields (UK)

For further information about the EI&E Academy please contact: Prof Adrian C. Cole; adrian.cole@bcu.ac.uk

About the Partners:

Birmingham City University (UK)

Birmingham City University has established expertise in enterprise and innovation development at national and international levels. Support for 4000+ smaller businesses has seen its technologies and skills transfer programmes result in significant product developments. Projects have included the EU Asia programme (with partners in India, China, Spain, Poland, and Germany).  Industrial partnerships have included Microsoft and Cisco  resulting in international computer and IT-networking academies. Further initiatives have resulted in links with Apple, Rolls Royce, NEC, SAP and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

SAXEED Center for Entrepreneurship (Germany)

SAXEED Center for Entrepreneurship currently offers entrepreneurship education and tangible advice for start-up companies at four universities in south-western Saxony; Chemnitz University of Technology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the two Universities of Applied Sciences in Mittweida and Zwickau. As a direct result of the Centre’s activities in the last 5 years more than 120 start-up companies have emerged out of 300 business ideas, creating more than 420 new jobs most of which have been in the technology sector.

AJE Zaragoza (Spain)

AJE Zaragoza  supports  the  growth of entrepreneurship  within its region through direct incubator support for start ups  including a supporting training programme. Its partnership with the University of Zaragoza  has enabled it to provide expertise on financing  and the development  of entrepreneurial culture and mindset.  During 2003 it hosted the I World Virtual Congress of Young Entrepreneurs and SMEs, which secured the participation of more than 130 countries, 600 organizations and more than 3.500 individual participants.

Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland)

Tampere  (TAMK) University has over 10,000 student and 800 members of staff focussing on technology, business, tourism and culture with a partnership involving the School of Art and the School of Vocational Teacher Education.  TAMK cooperates successfully on R&D with institutions across Finland.  Its entrepreneurship unit, the respected and internationally-renowned, ‘ProAcademy’ is working to renew the education system by promoting early student entrepreneurship. Students establish new businesses on entry and engage in team learning involving the unit’s trainers, entrepreneurs and students. Their approach focuses on ‘values’ based learning encouraging a can-do attitude and the courage to do business through coaches rather than lecturers and where lecture theatres are replaced by offices where students engage in team enterprises with responsibility for their own learning and success. 2008 revenues generated by student businesses amounted to Euros 400,000 with 20% of graduates continuing as entrepreneurs following graduation that year and 40% of 2009 graduates continuing in entrepreneurial roles.

Dieses Projekt wurde mit Unterstützung der Europäischen Kommission finanziert.  Die Verantwortung für den Inhalt dieser Veröffentlichung [Mitteilung] trägt allein der Verfasser; die Kommission haftet nicht für die weitere Verwendung der darin enthaltenen Angaben.