Main objective of the action is improving the innovation management capacity of two SME target groups: (1) Beneficiaries of the SME Instrument by provision of the specialised Key Account Management services, and (2) SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation through the targeted Enhancing the innovation management services.

The understanding and implementation of robots and AI (Artificial Intelligence) into the workplace is becoming an increasingly important aspect of economic growth in Europe. In order to take advantage of the technological advances SME Managers need the appropriate tools (including skills and competencies) to evaluate the value of automation and how to integrate robots and AI into the workforce.SME Managers need to consider a range of strategic factors to integrate next-generation robots into their overall strategy. They need to re-think workflows - introducing autonomous units that can think and interact with a wider ecosystem requires a re-evaluation of workplace structure. They need to consider social factors - the introduction of robots requires an understanding of social context and how these they interact and communicate.The specific aim of the Project will be to develop a series of training and support tools for SME Managers to enable them to assess the value of robots to their business development and sustainability and then effectively introduce them. These tools will include a best practice guide, self-assessment tools and an information exchange platform.The results of this project will be: •Benchmarking: The project will need to include some desk based work initially to cover the field i.e. literature detailing examples of the introduction robotics/AI in SMEs in Europe. Analytical activities: The project will undertake a Europe-wide survey to determine the issues faced by SME Managers when considering the introduction of robots/AI into their organisation and make recommendations as to what strategies they need to adopt to gain the best advantage from their introduction - Robots/AI Introduction in SMEs: A European Analysis•The results of the benchmarking and Europeans survey will be developed into a Best Practice Guide for SME Managers. The issues addressed will include (i) the initial financial impact on the business, (ii) the impact on the existing workforce, (iii) the impact on productivity and identify good practice and other identified issues - Robots and AI Introduction: A Guide for SME Managers, incorporating Self-Assessment Tools•Information Exchange Platform: To develop the technical architecture for the creation of an Information Exchange Platform that SME Managers can use to discuss issues of interest with other SMEs and where the Analysis Review Report, interactive self-assessment tools, Best Practice Guide will reside - Robots and AI in the Workplace Information Exchange PlatformThe overall impact of the Project will be an effective and viable way of managing the growing need for information and support of SME in the area of the introduction of new age technologies into their business.Considering short, medium and long term impacts, the project aims at providing the opportunity to develop and foster the interest in the introduction of “New Age Technologies” and offer the opportunity to SME Managers to take appropriate action with a view to assisting their decision making.Once the benefits of using the project outputs are realized, and embraced by SMEs, the overall impact will be to enable SMEs to effectively, and efficiently, introduce robots/AI into the workplace with a view to increase productively and make them more competitive.It is expected that over 800 participants, SMEs, SME support agencies, Enterprise Agencies and training institutions and individuals, will directly and indirectly benefit from involvement with the project.

<< Background >>Despite obvious benefits for University/Business Cooperation, the majority of universities and businesses in Europe do not collaborate.According to the EU Commission report on “State of University-Business Cooperation in EU” 2018, such limited (or lack of) collaboration dramatically reduces:- labour market relevance of study programmes- employability of graduates- ability of universities to produce impactful research.While lack of resources is often referred to as a barrier to cooperation, academics name bureaucracy and lack time as inhibitors while business identify cultural differences, different management styles and diverging motivations as obstacles.In such a context, JUST (Joint University/SME Training) will develop innovative tools to broker sustainable and fruitful collaboration between HEIs and SMEs to:1. develop & deliver labour market-relevant curricula2. define joint Work Based Learning (WBL) arrangements3. increase collaboration in career guidance / placementJUST is fully in line and addresses the following Erasmus+ priorities:HE Priority 1 “Promote inter-connected higher education systems”JUST has the objective of strengthening the strategic and structured cooperation between HEIs.Partners will develop and test an innovative model for enhanced cooperation between universities, and between universities and SMEs (sub-priority A)The JUST Model builds a blended and virtual collaboration model to jointly develop and deliver curricula and use online platforms for enhanced collaboration in placement and work-based learningHE Priority 2 “Stimulate innovative learning & teaching practices”JUST is in line with the objectives of sub-priorities:(A) JUST develops joint-curricula that are learning-outcome based (following Cedefop guidelines) to better meet the learning needs of students while reducing skills mismatches(B) partners will develop, test and implement flexible learning pathways for students, thanks to the modular structure of the JUST training that can be delivered online and blended. JUST includes forms of ONLINE ASSESSMENT to validate the acquisition of competences(C) the JUST training experiments with the concept of microcredentials: partners will use official guidelines/approaches of the EU Commission on microcredentials:- EU Skills Agenda, Jul. 2020: microcredentials are one of the 12 flagship actions- EU Education Area by 2025: microcredentials are instrumental to lifelong learning and reach a more diverse group of learners- Digital Education Action Plan, Sep. 2020: microcredentials lend themselves to digital teaching and learning in HE environment(D) implementation of transdisciplinary approaches/innovative pedagogies: JUST implement innovative trans-disciplinary collaborative online international learning with HEIs from Slovenia, Italy, Slovakia and Spain cross-teaching and teaching jointly with SMEs from different countries and sectors (ICT, management consulting, finance, innovation)HE Priority 4 “Reward excellence in learning, teaching & skills development”JUST model allow universities to involve and train academics in innovative and online pedagogies, including transdisciplinary approaches that involve private sector to develop and deliver new curricula, hence linking education with the local and European SMEs (sub-priority B).JUST addresses sub-priority C, as it fosters entrepreneurial, open and innovative higher education by promoting learning and teaching partnerships with organisations in the private sectorHorizontal Priority 3 “Address digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience, capacity”- key topic of JUST training is “digital skills” including “smart working” to meet the challenge of post-pandemic- JUST will use the “DigCompFramework 2.1” to develop its model and training (the Belgian partner is a member of the DigComp Community of Practice, facilitated by the EU Commission to update the DIgComp Framework in 2021)<< Objectives >>HEI / SME collaboration is always considered instrumental to realize the “knowledge triangle”, enhance innovation, bridge mismatch between supply & demand for skills and shorten the transition between world of education and world of work.The university / industry collaboration is often analysed from the perspective of large universities and big corporations. Seldom the analysis or model for university / industry collaboration involves the “micro” level, let it be smaller universities and smaller companiesJUST aims at bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work, by bringing together Universities (HEIs) and SMEs to develop coherent, relevant and up-to-date curricula, using microcredentials.To overcome the lack of functional mechanisms to facilitate HEI-SME interaction for joint teaching (development and delivery of training), WBL and placement, JUST will develop innovative operational tools to equip HEIs to broker collaborations with SMEs; the tools will also empower SMEs to understand the value of collaboration with HEIs for the development of skills and competences of the future workforce.TARGET GROUPS & NEEDS are identified- HEIs institution- academic staff- students (18+ yo, m/f equal ratio) approaching transition from education to word of work- SMEs operating in different segments/sectorsTARGET GROUP NEEDHEIs- identify innovative means/tools to engage SMEs- overcome internal administrative barriers/limitations to cooperate with business- develop new operational models that entail collaboration with private sector SMEs- overcome operational and “business” bias to collaborate with HEI- cooperate with HEIs for career guidance, WBL and placementStudents:- access to more relevant training, also in form of microcredentials, on how to land a first job in a SME and grow professionally- bridge the transition from world of edu to world of work- have access to more and better opportunities of Work Based Learning- access to more “business-informed” curricula, jointly developed and delivered with private sectorSMEs- have tools to collaborate with HEIs to express their skill needs, requirements and preferences- establish collaboration with HEIs for human capital development., research and innovation- access to pools of qualified potential employees- availability of students motivated to undergo research (PhD / Thesis work) and placement (internship)JUST cоnsоrtium rеprеsеnts HEIs, the private sectоr bth as individual SMEs and as business/SME develоpment and suppоrt agencies and systems. JUST brings tоgether the whоle spectrum оf еntrеprеnеurship, innоvatiоn and cоmpеtitivеnеss at bоth pоlicy and practicе lеvеls and th Higher Edu system.At prоpоsal preparatiоn, partners identified cоmmоn Needs (N) and related JUST Sоlutiоns (S):Nееd: upgradе partners’ rеspоnsivеnеss tо addrеssing thе higher educatiоn and еntrеprеnеurship needs оf students, being the HEIs and SMEs mоre respоnsive in meeting skills dеmandSоlutiоn: innоvativе JUST training and tооls, dеvеlоpеd jоintly and intеrnatiоnally amоng diffеrеnt HEIs and SMEsN: updatе HEI and SME relatiоns and inter-cоnnectiоnsS: innоvativе mоdel оf HEI – SME cоllabоratiоn that develоps mоre relevant training fоr students tо becоmemeet fast-vоlving needs оf skills frоm SMEs. Especially in pоst-pandemic settings with changing nature оf jоbs and prоfessiоnsN: widеn thеir оpеratiоnal hоrizоns tо оvеrcоmе “gеоgraphical” isоlatiоn and build crоss-bоrder HEI/SME cоllabоratiоnsS: JUST dеvеlоps a platfоrm fоr cоllabоratiоn and еxchangе bеtwееn and amоng diffеrеnt HEIs and SMEsN: prоvidе еxpоsurе tо intеrnal staff (managеmеnt, tеaching, admin) tо intеrnatiоnal еxpеrtisе and еxpеriеncе in entrereneurhip, interrelatiоn and internatiоnal cоllabоratiоnS: JUST as an intеrnatiоnal cоllabоrativе prоjеct prоvidеs a uniquе оppоrtunity tо gain knоwlеdgе, practicеs and еxpеriеncеs frоm оthеr оpеratiоnal rеalitiеs оf HEI and SME develоpment<< Implementation >>The project is digital by design and makes of ICT and digital communication:•(part of the) training topics•internal and external communication means (between partners and between partners and stakeholders)JUST will develop innovative tools to broker sustainable and fruitful collaboration between HEIs and SMEs for the development and delivery of labour market-relevant curricula; definition of joint Work Based Learning (WBL) arrangements; increased collaboration in career guidance and placementTo do so, the design of the project follows a staged approach methodology, meaning that each task of each PR is instrumental to plan, develop and implement the following1) the JUST OER platform represent the digital “library” and online identity of the project, repository of news, relevant trends, online community of practice, and most importantly, all Project Results developed by partners. The OER platform assures also for JUST mainstreaming and visibility at international level. The platform will be in multilanguage version and will NOT require log in credentials from users so as to maximise its accessibility and ease of use2) once JUST’s online identity is settled up, partners will kickstart the mapping activity of interesting and current collaboration models between the private sector (SMEs) and HEIs so to seek for relevant trends and gain inputs and insights to be included in their own model. The Common Methodology developed by Applicant and IHF will allow for consistency of results and reliability of findings. Once partners will finalise the assessment, they will all work on the JUST Cooperation Model embedded with guidelines, checklist, recommended modus operandi3) upon completion and finalisation of the Cooperation Model, partners will “test” its real-life reliability and usability by leveraging on it for the definition of a new hybrid training curricula targeted at HE students.The training is highly innovative because it includes the participation of professionals and consultants. In that sense, students can benefit from a training that is tailored on skills and competences highly demanded by the labour market, designed in first person by employers and SMEs’ management>HEIs can enhance the provision of their educational offer, better preparing their students for the labour market>SMEs can contribute to the nurturing of future talents, talents from which they can benefits once they will transfer to the labour market>students can better equip themselves with the skills, competences and knowledge demanded by employers and managersThe reliability, consistency and pedagogical accuracy of the training material will be validated thanks to an in-depth and international scale piloting phase that will take 12 months and will involve (at least) 300 students. The validation plan developed by PR’s leader will assure for common testing methodology, gathering and process of feedbacks. Based on students’ feedbacks, partner will ultimate the finetuning of the trainingThe way in which partners envisioned the validation phase is very innovative being the result of a cross-functional approach:•Classroom delivery at university with visiting lecturers from private sector(from M14 to M20 and M23 to M27, in conjunction with traditional academic semesters)•Classroom delivery at enterprises with university teaching staff accompanying (work-based learning; field trip; job shadowing; research/thesis work, etc.)•Virtual delivery with cross-border teaching exchanges between HEIs and SMEs from the different countries (i.e. the Spanish SME teaching in Slovak HEI)Lastly, partners will consolidate set of guidelines to mainstream and facilitate the replicability of the JUST beyond the formal timeline, the project and partnership itself. The scope of this PR is triggering a “multiplier affect” across the EU ecosystem of HE, employability, social and economic inclusion, and inspire other local networks of HEIs and SMEs in doing the same<< Results >>JUST main results are described in the relevant sections of this e-Form, namely in the sections devoted to intellectual outputs and multiplier events. Yet, JUST project results will not be reduced to those: the main project results will be visible also and especially at the level of direct and indirect beneficiaries and at the level of participating organizations.Moreover, JUST will produce both tangible and intangible results:INTANGIBLE RESULTS>> Increased intermediation and collaboration between HEIs and SMEs for curricula design and delivery, carer guidance, placement and Work Based Learning>> Improved participation of SMEs in academic life, thanks to enhanced collaboration with HEIs>> Augmented relevance of HE at systemic level for its socio-economic role in the local communities, in social and economic life>> Enhanced professional paths for the students that will undertake the joint-developed and delivered JUST curriculum>> Increased international competitiveness of the partner organisations thanks to the networking effect of the JUST project that will establish working collaborations among organisations from different domains, sectors and countries>> Improved project management and inter-cultural communication competences among the implementation teams of the partner organizations.TANGIBLE RESULTSPR1 JUST OER Platform & Networking spacePR2 JUST Model for HEI-SMEs collaboration: mapping and assessment of trends and dynamicsPR3 JUST Multilanguage Tool-Kit + test and validation w/ 300 HE studentsPR4 JUST Implementation Suite and Green PaperMultiplier Events>> Each ME will provide impact and sustainability to project results>> Project Management Plan that will be produced at preparation stage>> JUST Dissemination Strategy / Plan>> JUST Quality Assurance Plan>> JUST Corporate Stationery, comprised of template documents to provide a unique visual interface to internal and external communications, including the project logo>> Project Specific Documents and Templates (internal monitoring reports, feed-back questionnaires, contracts/agreements between Applicant and Partners)>> Transnational meeting kits that will be developed by the hosting organisation in anticipation and preparation for the project meetings. The Kits are personalized folders with all documents used and shared during the joint works sessions, feed-back questionnaires, meeting agenda and other useful information such as logistics, practical info>> Transnational meeting reports and minutesThe JUST tools and curricula will be available in 5 language versions, allowing the project to produce sustainable impact beyond its lifetime. Thanks to the mainstreaming guidelines, JUST will produce sustainable and durable impact at systemic level: other HEIs, SMEs and intermediaries/associations of SMEs will be able to access and use for FREE and without ANY RESTRICTION the JUST operational tools and training resources. This allows the scalability and replicability of JUST in diverse operational settings and environment to bring closer together the world of education and the world of work