Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are leading power of economy. To unlock their potential EU provides many instrument for them.EU funding programs are one of the most important ones as it promotes SMEs in very different ways. Innovation agencies have a vital role to promote SMEs competiveness through EU finding mechanism. If they have a structured way or methodology to transfer knowledge to SMEs, they will include more SMEs into the system which will bring many different skills and competences to SMEs, INNOCOACH will aim to improve coaching service mechanism for the EIC Pilot programs among innovation agencies through analyzing different methods and best practices around Europe. Within 12 months of period, INNOCOACH -made up of 3 organizations, including 1 chamber of commerce, 1 business Support organization and 1 innovation hub -, will develop the most effective ways of coaching on the new updated program in order to improve SMEs’ interest and satisfaction by exchanging good practices on coaching and providing sustainable synergy among related partners

The main objective of the GIMS project is to build and commercialize an advanced low-cost system based on EGNSS, Copernicus SAR and other in-situ sensors, like inertial measurement units, for the purpose of monitoring ground deformations with a focus on landslides and subsidence. The system will recover deformations with millimetric level accuracies and daily acquisition rate. Moreover the integration of in-situ accelerometers will give real-time alerts in case of sudden movements. Finally the low-cost infrastructure deployed for the landslide monitoring can be used as collector of environmental data for smart grids purposes. The observations of these three different monitoring techniques, namely EGNSS, SAR and accelerometers, are complementary in time and space and can be integrated to obtain a better understanding of the monitored processes and a more complete knowledge of the deformation phenomenon. The project involves researchers and industrial developers from different fields: radiofrequency analysis and related hardware design, telecommunications, SAR and GNSS data analysis, accelerometers signal processing, geostatistics, geology. Significant effort will be put in the cooperation between different areas and in the interface between different products and technologies. The overall purpose of the GIMS project is to have detailed and timely knowledge of the geophysical behaviour of parts of the Earth surface, and its hindrances on structures, in order to mitigate casualties and injuries to the population, and better plan maintenance intervention.

In order for the European Union (EU) to be successful in the global markets, higher education institutions (HEI) must be able to produce independent, creative, entrepreneurial individuals, who understand inter- and multidisciplinary challenges of the socio-economic environment and as a result can contribute to open innovation in true convergence with technological growth. EU’s success in the global competition is heavily dependent on the ability of the economy to produce digitally based innovative enterprises with high growth potential that can give stimulus to the actors of the socio-economic environment. Creating a common framework and a unified entrepreneurial ecosystem across the EU requires a core engine of open innovation and co-creation among all the involved stakeholders in order for the inequality among the regions of the EU to be decreased. Currently, EU significantly lacks such capacities of fostering digitally driven startups in true co-creation with all stakeholders. Such requirement not only that ensures long terms sustainability and societal development by improving living conditions, but it also drives the need for more innovation and knowledge exploitation. More innovation towards finding unique solutions to growth in a digitally driven quadruple helix context (university/innovation, startups/market, policy, society, investors/associations) where digital entrepreneurship (DEP) - in a quadruple helix co-creation- should be the key driver of regional and EU growth. To this end, iSTART responded to this need by aiming to develop an innovative, evidence based transnational framework that will markedly improve the knowledge and skills of academic institutions to produce more market/ startup oriented DEP curricula, reducing the barriers in this field. The project consortium comprised of key academics, investors, incubators from different sectors who co-created the envisaged DEP curriculum and piloted it through an open innovation and co-creation virtual learning environment (VLE). The outcome was directly pertinent to quadruple helix-academia co-operation for innovation and best practices with respect to DEP, and can also support policy reform in this area, leading to more prepared graduates ready for the startup market. In addition, iSTART enabled transnational DEP skill development/learning mobility leading to DEP homogeneity in EU towards targeting the common EU market. Overall, iSTART also followed up the recent plans of the EU to promote entrepreneurship and social cohesion as well as digitalization of higher education and of industries. This makes iSTART directly relevant to the current objectives of the participating organizations. Additionally, iSTART was aligned with the goals of Strategic Partnerships for academia-market-society collaboration/innovation, with the Headline Education Target, Entrepreneurship 2020, Startup Europe Initiative, and with the EU Higher Education Modernisation Agenda by providing incentives for higher education internationalization, market-oriented curriculum development, and co-creation with business through integrated features, that will lead on the long term to better involvement and support from the industry side to academia. Similarly, iSTART is in line with the European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) strategy by fostering life-long-learning, improving the quality of education through stakeholder engagement, and promoting creative thinking towards DEP. In order to achieve this mission, iSTART employed the following approach:O1) Training needs analysis identification (together with a benchmark of quadruple helix status/co-creation practices)O2) Two Trainers' labs (capitalization and peer development of the overall framework for iSTART) O3) DEP Curriculum & Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platformO4) Four academies (curriculum piloting, DEP pitching, VLE testing - together with iSTART partners, students and quadruple helix stakeholders). The impact of iSTART, by developing a market oriented DEP curriculum, leading to more feasible digital startups, is to achieve this through co-creation in a blended and open innovation manner with quadruple helix stakeholders - through the developed VLE: 1) Transform European Higher Education & Research Institutes to Entrepreneurial Institutes 2) Transform higher education students to European Digital Entrepreneurs 3) Diversify & Europeanize Incubators’, Investors’ and high-tech companies’ portfolio and footprint4) Advance problem-solving capacities of European Local/Public communities under the patronage of the quadruple helix 5) Enhanced homogeneity of technology adoption and integration in quadruple-helix stakeholder related processes and teaching and learning (for higher education) 6) Enhancement of social stakeholder awareness/cohesion through the open VLE in relation to digital entrepreneurship practices 7) Expansion of the digital entrepreneurship trends within the EU.

<< Background >>Blockchain is a disruptive technology with innovative business models and new markets emerging continuously. When the proposal was submitted (things are improving nowadays), it was characterized by the lack of proper educational material. Material available online provided a fragmented view leading to a lack of knowledge of its potential benefits in terms of growth and innovation, as well as the lack of skills in the area. DLT4ALL contributed mitigating this challenge.<< Objectives >>DLT4All is addressing the lack of European entrepreneurs, students, angel-investors and incubator managers in understanding and exploiting blockchain technologies. It aimed to co-create and deploy with the above target groups an innovative curriculum of 8 blockchain based courses with a lean-training and personalized implementation methodology, accompanied by a relevant foresight exercise including policy-making recommendations, a marketing sustainability strategy and a final conference.<< Implementation >>The implementation of DLT4ALL was organized around 11 Work Packages. The first 18 months, the work was conducted according to the approved plan after the departure of one of the partners. With the emergence of the pandemic, all online activities were moved online including the face-to-face training that was one of our main deliverables. More details can be found within the final report and the individual deliverables. Please see https://dlt4all.eu/deliverables/ with password DLT4ALL-2021.<< Results >>The first 18 months, the results focused on the co-design and preparation of the curriculum along with the design of the offline/online methodology (had to be modified with pandemic). All thematic priorities were covered while engaging all target groups. The delivery of all activities ranging from dissemination events (> 30) training (>150 hours) and final conference, resulted in the engagement of several thousand of blockchain enthusiasts in the project and contributing to the knowledge space.

"<< Background >>The initiative to the project, ""Access To Work Based Learning Abroad-European Apprenticeship RoadMap"" (VET-EAR RoadMap), came from the coordinating VET-provider, YA-Vocational College of Ostrobothnia. Since the extensive national VET-reform in Finland in 2018, the national apprenticeship periods has steadily increased and the procedures and materials has been produced, tested and incorporated in the daily activities at YA. Recently there has been an interest in international apprenticeships, where the documentation and the knowledge still need to be developed, and hence the need of a cross-over partnerships. The apprentice system in Europe has for over 20 years been used as a work-based learning (WBL) method. The economic situation and demand for labour has a major impact on the demand for and provision of apprenticeship training, benefitting both unemployed youths, jobseekers and workers wanting to retraining or up skill. Apprentice systems have been but there are differences in the legislation concerning the apprenticeship training between the European countries. Visions of function and purpose of apprenticeships vary across countries and even in some examples among different stakeholders within the same country. This leads to differing user expectations of apprenticeships and leaves room for competition with other forms of work-based learning or active labour market policies. In some instances the governance prominence over the education sector tend to limit the potential benefits from engaging employers and social partners. Other hindrance may be lack of communication, apprenticeship’s low status and attractiveness; insufficient non-financial incentives (including information), and lack of evidence of the actual benefits of apprenticeship. For others insufficient cooperation between the education and training sector and the world of work in defining, delivering and assessing apprenticeship curricula may lead to either lack of flexibility to accommodate sector needs or, in the absence of reference documents unstructured adaptation to apprenticeship needs.A priority for this project is to strengthen the Access to Work Based Learning Abroad (WBL), in the form of international apprenticeships, both on secondary and tertiary level. All partners participating in this project are from different parts of Europe promoting their apprenticeship systems, and welcoming a more unified European understanding of paid WBL.Needs to be addressed:1.How to increase the knowledge of the different systems in the partner countries contributing to a more transparent and secure mobility period abroad?2.How to increase the transparency and accessibility of information and material?3.How to spread awareness of the possibilities of international apprenticeships?The results will be Apprenticeship mapping, an international Apprenticeship Days, an online European Apprenticeship RoadMap (guide), a VET-EAR Platform, VET-EAR Canvas and Apprenticeship Frames (templates). This project results in a framework of reference for: key elements, regulations and how this works in practice in partner countries, material, templates and for identifying common stakeholder perceptions and ambitions regarding their apprenticeship systems and schemes.<< Objectives >>The most relevant objective and priority in this project is increasing the flexibility of opportunities in vocational education and training and increasing the attractiveness of VET. For employers, apprenticeship should be a cost-effective means of ensuring new recruits have the knowledge and skills they require. Both students and employers win from the arrangement and so does also VET providers and society as a hole. The employers are contributing to the costs of preparing the next generation of workers. Effective apprenticeships must be attractive to students, employers and to society. Adapting VET to labour market needs is also an essential priority in the project. European employers have in many cases experience of national apprenticeship agreements, but faces new challenges when they employ foreign apprenticeship students who provided new formats unknown to them. There may be cases where opportunities are lost because of the differences in legislation and the lack of information of the different procedures.The concrete objectives to be achieved by implementing the activities and results are the following:A.By implementing an online Apprenticeship Roadmap (guide) the partners can increase the knowledge of the different systems in the partner countries contributing to a more transparent and secure mobility period abroad by developing an open and easily accessible framework for European apprenticeships addressing VET provider and companies. An apprenticeship should be a cost-effective means of ensuring new recruits have the knowledge and skills they require. Both learners and employers win from the arrangement and so does also society. By well-functioning apprenticeship routines, methods and information will secure that the skills of the employers will be matched with the competence outcomes for the students/apprentices. For several project partners the VET teachers play an important role in the administrative, informative and monitoring part. In the guide the students can find information about the salaries, insurance etc. B.The VET-EAR Platform offers guidance and tutoring. To increase the transparency and accessibility of information and material the partnership cooperation is developing an open and accessible online platform with links, good practices, canvas, videos for each partner country, templates, apprenticeship agreement, instructional material for workplace instructors)The objective to collect routines, templets, examples and recommendations from all partner countries is achieved through a mapping with regional entrepreneurs and organizations focusing on existing routines for apprenticeships This mapping will highlight the challenges, differences, loop holes and potentials of apprenticeships abroad. C.An outlined structure and concept for an International apprenticeship Day is implemented. The International Apprenticeship Day plays an important role in demonstrating the opportunities and increasing the attractiveness for VET-education. It is important for both employer’s end VET educators to spread awareness of international apprenticeships, the project and its outcomes by arranging an open international Apprenticeship day for staff, students and labour market representatives. During this day there will also be additional information about the possibility to seek support from Erasmus+ mobility projects.Other important priorities in the project are contributing to innovation in VET. By working together in a cross-over partnership the aim is to increase the knowledge of the different systems in the partner countries, procedures and templates, contributing to a more transparent, secure and prepared mobility period abroad. This would also contribute to enhanced cooperation cross-level, strengthening the quality and inclusiveness of apprenticeship and strengthening quality and recognition of learning outcomes.<< Implementation >>A project is sustainable when it continues to deliver benefits to the project beneficiaries and stakeholders for an extended period after the project ending. The activities implemented are in details described in the application that also constitutes the project plan of this partnership cooperation. The implemented activities are divided into project activities and sustainable result activities: - Project activities are activities that takes place during workshops, transnational meetings, and multiplier events with the purpose to jointly develop, test and evaluate results and to share experiences. The tasks between meetings are focusing on preparing and producing results, to disseminate outcomes and to implement the results into their own organization.- Sustainable activities that are implemented during this project are activities that are transferable to all target groups and stakeholders, both on local, regional, national and European levels. These activities are strictly based on the priorities, the objectives and expected results of the project.The partners are divided into 3 teams with the aim that everyone knows their activities and responsibilities. The activities are decided according to the partners previous experiences and skills, but it is also important that all team partners share their experiences and develop new skills.1.VET Team (Finland and Norway)The VET partners are involved in activities connected to VET education (European Apprenticeship Roadmap and templates).2.Further Education Team (France, Spain and Sweden)The FE team will be responsible for the research activities (survey, questionnaires, analysis and mapping as well as an illustrative tool describing apprenticeship training for educators, employers and students)3.Network Team (Italy, North Macedonia and Sweden)The Team will bring the networking experiences and create a VET-EAR Platform with updated and official information concerning Europeans apprenticeship systems, employment regulations, work safety, social and health care and best practices. Agreement templates will also be published on this platform. The Apprenticeship Day concept will strengthen a link to the European labour and employment market.Activities to develop and produce results during the project period is not enough. To ensure the sustainability of results and expected impacts a thorough needs analysis with all partner organizations was done during the application process. Sustainability is also an expected impact and a commitment for each partner organization and participant. This will strengthen the dissemination and implementation activities of the results to all target groups and stakeholders. The content and design are very important for the results to be sustainable. The good practices learnt during the project are sustainable and can be transferred by each partner through their own networks. Four results are developed, tested, and implemented in the daily training activities of the education providers and can be maintained without additional funding:•European Apprenticeship Roadmap Guide•Apprenticeship Frames (templates)•VET-EAR Platform•Apprenticeship Day for staff and studentsThe following results have been developed with the purpose to be implemented by the partner organizations as strategy documents and research reports:•Apprenticeship Mapping•VET-EAR CanvasA sustainability analysis discussion at the end of the project will determine the final project relevance, educational usefulness, practicability, and adaptability of results. VET - EAR Roadmap will highlight apprenticeships as an attractive VET system for both students and employers.<< Results >>The expected project results and outcomes in VET-EAR RoadMap are:1.A European Apprenticeship Roadmap (Guide).This guide is to be used as a guide for schools, employers, organizations to support and facilitate the mobility of international VET Apprenticeships. Teachers will disseminate the guide, implement it into their routines and use it to explain the apprenticeship system to students and local stakeholders, e.g. companies that closely collaborates with the educator and receive students during apprenticeship-periods and that may be a future employer for VET students. Examples of good practices can illustrate and serve as an example to stakeholders. The review will be a governing document where the outcomes are cross-over partnerships, reinforced cooperation with partners from other countries, other fields and levels of education and training and/or other socio-economic sectors. 2.A VET-EAR Platform. This platform is a tangible result with an expected outcome to offer a modern, dynamic and professional European apprenticeship environment ready to integrate good practices and new methods including transparent templates into daily activities. By having a common platform where the project outcomes easily can be accessed will hopefully bridge the gap in knowledge of the apprenticeship systems and ways to compare different system, which can ultimately lead to target groups carrying out their interest for upskilling and reskilling. 3.A VET-EAR Canvas. This result is an illustrated canvas that will visually show content, benefits, activities and possibilities by illustrating the ways of the system, an animated/illustrated template that educators at all levels can use when documenting and marketing existing system in each partner country. A direct outcome for teachers and students is that it will visually show the steps of Apprenticeship from different aspects and practicalities such as financial aspects can be highlighted in a Canvas. As an important outcome this Canvas will be an important strategic document that the partners will add to their organizational strategic documents. 4.Apprenticeship frames (templates). These templates meet the needs and expectations of the target groups (students, teachers and employers). The outcomes of these documents, such as an apprenticeship agreement and learning outcome assessment, will function as engaging examples with information about the documentation in different countries in order to increase the knowledge about WBL and learning outcomes and strengthening the image of VET education. By providing these templates free and easy accessible on the VET-EAR Platform, and also through the VET partners own platforms, the flexibility in VET will increase and it will also strengthen the inclusion.5.Apprenticeship Day. The apprenticeship days in will be organized by the project partners and will showcase examples of how organizations have put Apprenticeships into practice through collaboration, discuss the challenges and how to overcome them. The most sustainable outcomes are expanded networks and collaborations and increased attractiveness of WBL. The event will offer educators, students, employers and relevant stakeholders updated information, and can open up to more opportunities for student Apprenticeships.6.Mapping of Apprenticeships. This mapping in partner countries is a survey with regional entrepreneurs about experience of student apprentices. By investigating the experiences and needs at the labour market in concern to the apprenticeship training the partner organizations will have in-depth discussions, evaluations and reflection on the inputs needed. An outcome is identifying the needs of the labour market, stepping stones and areas for potential development. These surveys are important since they will give indications on outcomes of other results and activities, such as Apprenticeship Day, European Apprenticeship Roadmap and VET-EAR Platform."