Creation of the Network Infrastructure to Support Innovative Youth Entrepreneurship at Production Laboratories

About of project:

Project Period: 31.05.2016-30.05.2019

Budget: € 571,271

Implementing Agencies:

Belarusian National Technical University;

Belarusian State University;

"Polytechnic" Hi-Tech Park of BNTU

Location: United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Belarus, Ukraine

Description

The Belarusian National Strategy of Social and Economic Development until 2020 provides for the transfer to an innovative economy development and a better competitive ability of domestic science. It will require a better quality of training of professionals capable of both generating ideas and implementing new inventions in manufacture and in the social sphere. Fabrication laboratories (fablabs) of leading universities are designed to motivate students in innovative activities.

Goals and Objectives: Create conditions for evolving engineering creativity among students and involve them in business activities; also, facilitate employment of young professionals. Develop a support system for youth entrepreneurship based on cooperation of universities, businesses and industrial enterprises. Develop teaching methodologies and modernize curricula in the universities participating in the Project.

Intermediate Outcomes: Five fablabs will be set up in the partner countries: two in Belarus, and three in Ukraine. The laboratories will be fitted out with special equipment for the prompt development and introduction of prototypes and models of various appliances and devices. There, engineering students will be able to implement their project ideas in practice.

It is planned to develop five training modules for the following specialities: the theory of solving invention tasks; 3D design and modeling; prompt manufacturing and production of device prototypes and modules; project management; market surveys. The efficiency of this methodology will be tested in practice by a pilot group of students. In future, it is planned to include the training modules as optional materials into the curricula of the participating universities.

Partnerships established under the Project between academic circles, industry and business of Belarus, Ukraine and EU countries would help develop a system to support young entrepreneurs at local, regional and international levels.

Points of Contact: Natalia Tomashevich, Manager of the Center for Academic and Technical Cooperation, BNTU "Polytechnic" Hi-Tech Park

+375 17 292 80 81, +375 29 178 28 68, tamashevich@icm.by

Hyperlinks: www.fablab-erasmus.eu