Projects

Due to the attack on Ukraine, the European Union has decided that no more Russian partners may be involved in the projects. Therefore, the project is currently only being implemented with partners from Estonia, Latvia and Kazakhstan.

In today's labour market, there is a high demand for ICT skills in all areas of engineering and technology professions, and this demand is even greater in the entrepreneurial sector, as IT business is one of the fastest growing areas. Currently, neither ICT nor engineering or technology students receive entrepreneurship training at partner country universities (their business curricula are usually limited to basic economic theory and the organisation of production units). Engineering and technology courses also rarely receive sufficient training in ICT, especially in emerging IT technologies - partner country universities teach ICT skills in the form of some software engineering tools without providing opportunities for lifelong learning in this area.

Project goals:

1) Improve Kazakh and Russian engineering curricula at partner universities by introducing an ICT skills-based entrepreneurship module.

2) Introduce an IT-entrepreneurial acceleration programme for soft skills development in engineering curricula by bringing together the strengths of partner universities in terms of collaborative teaching, assessment and feedback.

3) Alignment of engineering education with EU standards in accordance with the Bologna Process through the introduction of common university courses recognised by the consortium of partner universities.

4) Promote the approach of international bottom-up collaboration within the knowledge triangle so as to improve the level and structure of ICT hard skills and entrepreneurial soft skills acquired by engineering students.

The main objective of the TRAIN-ECO project is to develop training materials on eco-innovation for electronics professionals and entrepreneurs from SMEs and start-ups. SMEs and start-ups play an important role in the EU economy and need to move towards sustainable business models to support the EU's efforts to build a green economy. For Example, Waste from the electronics industry, known as e-waste, is an increasingly big problem for the EU and the world. Currently, however, SME and start-up employees lack the training and skills
necessary to develop innovative and environmentally sound electronic products that comply with EU regulations. To remedy this, TRAIN-ECO:

• Development of training materials on eco-innovation leading to sustainable development and quality management in the development of electronic products
• Development of training material on EU environmental and safety standards
• Design a MOOC that comprehensively covers the above topics.
• Creation of shorter e-modules on these topics and an open repository of project materials
• Produce guidelines for VET providers on how to integrate our learning materials into flexible continuing education programmes and courses.

All our objectives have been set in recognition of the specific needs of electronics professionals and entrepreneurs. As working professionals often lack the time to participate in longer-term training programmes, TRAIN-ECO will pay special attention to creating flexible learning opportunities for this group, in particular through the development of a MOOC and a series of shorter e-modules on eco-innovation. In addition to SME and start-up employees, we will target learners in further education, students of electrical engineering and vocational education and training, and adult education providers, who will be able to use the TRAIN-ECO materials freely.

TRAIN-ECO Website & MOOC Access

According to the forecast of the International Transport Forum (2015), shipping traffic will increase by 327% by 2050, causing 238% more CO2 emissions. In Europe, freight volumes will increase by 216 % by 2050, causing 174 % more CO2 emissions. There will be a huge shift in the transport of goods. This will have a major impact on sea and inland ports. Small and medium-sized ports building the so-called comprehensive TEN-T network are expected to face strong environmental, competitive and operational pressures. 66% of all ports in the BSR are small and medium-sized ports. Total cargo throughput is less than 2 million tonnes per year. Small ports, especially in the SBSR, suffer from lower cargo volumes, lack of smart specialisation, outdated infrastructure, investments and new business models that contribute to blue and green growth. They are unable to secure their funding, which is paradoxical. After all, theoretical and empirical studies in the US and Europe show (Rodrigue and Schulman, 2013, Rozmarynowska and Oldakowski, 2013), port infrastructure projects promote economic development. So far, however, this has only been the case for large ports. These are so-called core ports of the TEN-T network, e.g. Rostock, Szczecin, Gdynia, Klaipeda, Malmö, Trelleborg (SBSR scale). In contrast, the small ports of Wismar, Sassnitz (DE); Fredericia, Ronne, Rodby (DK); Ystad, Karlskrona, Karlshamn (SE) and Police (PL) are also in the SBSR. They are part of the overall TEN-T network and receive financial and economic support. Nevertheless, they face tough survival conditions. Competition is even stronger for small SBSR ports that are not part of the overall TET-T network (e.g. Stralsund, Kolobrzeg, Elblag, Łeba (PL), Kalmar (SE)). Paradoxically, they form hubs of the regional economy and are important gateways for regional development. In Poland alone there are about 38 such small ports. We are in line with the EU White and Green Papers, the CET Facility, Council Regulations and ESPO and BPO recommendations.

Connect2SmallPorts Website

Traditional industries are the backbone of the regional economy, but they suffer from the pressure of environmental impacts. Maritime transport is crucial for regional development and for the EU as a whole, as around 90% of goods destined for markets outside the EU are transported by sea. Maritime activities such as transport and shipbuilding, energy production and use, and coastal tourism, including smaller infrastructures (yachts and cruises), are forced by environmental pressures (e.g. to reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions) to seek new innovative and sustainable solutions, to comply with new policy regulations for transport and related activities, and to change negative or ZERO innovation performance, as shown in the recent JRC Technical Report on Blue Growth and Smart Specialisation (2016).

CTCC improves the innovation performance of the main target group - at least 200 Danish, German, Polish, Lithuanian and Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the Southern Baltic Sea Region (SBSR) by 30 June 2020 from three targeted traditional production sectors contributing to blue and green growth. Improving the innovation performance of traditional SMEs will be achieved through cross-sectoral cooperation with 100 freelancers, start-ups and SMEs from three creative industries. The project offers four cross-border solutions for innovation development, management and exploitation: 1) a triple helix partnership between creative industries and businesses and a platform for creative brokerage that facilitates innovation; 2) a cross-sector innovation training methodology; 3) 30 specific demand-driven innovation solutions for traditional SMEs and regions, such as. e.g. environmentally friendly and ergonomic ship design, simulators for maritime applications; improved and safe navigation signs in ports and coastal areas; and 4) four sustainable, self-running and funding mechanisms for the use of the developed models beyond the project lifetime.

CTCC Website

The maritime industry is one of the most promising development sectors in the SB region, but despite strong lobbying and support from SB regional authorities for the intensive development of the maritime industry, there is still a lack of international instruments across the SB region to support SME marketing activities at the international level.

The INTERMARE project will support the maritime economy across the Southern Baltic region through a network of businesses and stakeholders under a common INTERMARE brand that is easily recognisable in the region and in other European and global markets.

The aim of the project is to create a network of companies and stakeholders (clusters, employers' organisations, regional and local authorities, etc.) for greater recognition of SMEs from the SB region in international markets and better cooperation in supply chains in the region. The INTERMARE project will develop and implement a series of measures to integrate stakeholders in the SB region. This will allow for better cooperation and the creation of joint projects and initiatives, enabling maritime SMEs from the region to compete in the markets.

The maritime companies of the region will be able to promote themselves at international events within the framework of the common regional network (brand) of the INTERMARE SB region, e.g. maritime fairs, cross-border network meetings and promotional activities in Europe. To this end, the following results are to be achieved:

Marketing strategy for the maritime economy in the Southern Baltic Sea Region;
Creating tools to support and facilitate international cooperation and promotion of blue economy businesses in the Southern Baltic Sea Region;
Creation and use of tools to promote the blue economy through actions and events;
INTERMARE 2020, a trade fair for blue economy businesses.
The project involves six partners from Poland, Lithuania and Germany, but is also open to SMEs from Denmark and Sweden.

InterMarE Website

TEST-4-SME initiates an innovation support network in the Baltic Sea Region that provides testing and consultancy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the electronics sector during early product development. The tests and consultations focus on how to demonstrate conformity with international standards. All electronic products must demonstrate their conformity with standards, which requires testing of product prototypes. Early testing can help avoid errors at later stages and thus save costs.

Members of the network advise and train company staff on standards compliance and share knowledge within the network to improve the quality and efficiency of testing, speeding up the electronics companies' product development process.

As part of the project, seven companies are testing the services of the network. The project will establish a list of electronics testing laboratories, develop rules for the network and analyse the demand for existing testing services in the region. The network is open for more electronics testing labs. Some investments in testing equipment are planned. The laboratory staff will be trained. The testing services will be evaluated and the long-term sustainability strategy planned.

TEST-4-SME Website

In Central Europe, regional innovation strategies (RIS) and the actual end-user needs for smart specialisation are too often not well aligned. As each region collects relevant data in different structures, the SMART_watch project will develop a common methodology and benchmarking tools to improve the situation. Specifically, the project will develop a model for regional sector observatories equipped with a set of monitoring and benchmarking tools available to all RIS stakeholders and smart market actors.

As the project coincides with the mid-term evaluation of RIS, the partners will develop policy recommendations for EU institutions based on international pilot projects and research results. A newly created network of regional sector observatories will enable national and EU authorities to monitor the implementation of smart specialisations across the EU. Technology areas prioritised by SmartS in partner regions include health, life sciences, ICT, future services, sustainable production technologies and Industry 4.0.

SMART_watch Website

Wismar University of Applied Sciences participates in the transnational initiative GO LNG: LNG Value Chain for Clean Shipping, Green Ports and Blue Growth in Baltic Sea Region. The project aims to promote clean shipping by increasing the capacity of maritime stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region (maritime authorities, rescue services, government agencies, shipping companies, ports, research and intergovernmental organisations) to reduce the negative impact of shipping on the marine environment. The project has brought together 19 partners from almost all countries in the Baltic Sea Region to work on realising this ambitious idea. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Wismar University of Applied Sciences is responsible for providing the integrated LNG value chain for BSR (WP3 Leader).

GoLNG Website

Referring to the results of the EU research project "East-West Transport Corridor II", the European transport sector, especially the Eastern European and Baltic Sea regions, is highly dependent on the development of logistics competences and capacities in Kazakhstan and Russia. Despite the establishment of the monetary union between Russia and Kazakhstan (in 2010) and a high prioritisation of logistics management in the Russian and Kazakh national development strategies, the current level of competences and the reality of the content of studies and the competences taught do not correspond to the actual demand from the EU trading partners.

There is an increasing uneven development in Kazakhstan and Russia - high investments in physical infrastructure (road, rail and transport network) instead of support for the education sector in logistics. The reason for this trend is not a lack of financial basis or political will in Kazakhstan and Russia, but much more a lack of logistics professionals and deficits in the field of logistics skills training. This, in turn, prevents the countries of Kazakhstan and Russia from efficiently implementing their strategic transport policies and discourages European partners and entrepreneurs from investing in the transport sector, which cannot lead to sustainable transport growth.

Taking into account these challenges and aiming to meet the demand for logistics competences, the project will develop and implement the Master's programme "Management of Green Logistics: Strengthening Trans-Eurasian Logistic Accessibility and Connectivity through the Sustainable Logistics Management and ICT Competence Development" together with the partners from Sweden, Estonia and Germany for the partner countries Kazakhstan and Russia. This Master's programme with the acronym "Management of Green Logistics" should be realised in the six partner universities of Kazakhstan and Russia by September 2017.

The project aims to strengthen Trans-Eurasian logistic accessibility and connectivity through sustainable logistics management and ICT competence building, as well as to build the sustainability of logistics competences in the field of intelligent and sustainable transport in the partner universities, thus also strengthening their presence at the international educational level in compliance with the principles of the so-called Bologna Process. Furthermore, interregional cooperation is supported, especially with regard to the fact that today's transport challenges know no borders and are mostly of a global nature. For this reason, a common approach in this field is essential. By introducing complex contents into the respective curricula and a joint implementation of the Master's programme in the partner countries with the support of colleagues from Germany, Sweden and Estonia, the European educational standards are communicated to the partner countries.