Kick-off Meeting for SMART project

DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies is the coordinator of a project named SMART Innovation Centres for the Development of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Thinking to Facilitate the Development of Sustainable Smart Solutions in the Western Balkans, approved in 2022 for funding by the European Commission within Erasmus+ program of Capacity Building in Higher Education. On this occasion the first meeting of representatives of partner institutions participating in the project was held in Maribor on the 23 and 24 of January 2023 at DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies.

Attendees of the meeting were welcomed by Mateja Geder, head of Project Office at DOBA and she gave a brief overview of the project. She emphasized how the the SMART project contributes to the priorities of the European Commission such as digital transformation and data technologies, alliances for sustainable growth and jobs and that it also supports a successful green and sustainable global economic recovery in Albania, Bosnia, and Montenegro, linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Next to presentation of the project itself, on the meeting it was agreed implementation of all activities in the domain of signing partnership agreements and members of the project consortium were presented during the first day, as well as presentations from coordinators of all work packages were given.

During the second day study visit was realized and the participants had the opprotunity to hear about the Slovenian Sustainable Smart Specialisation Strategy 2030, as well as presentations on Strategic Research and Innovation Partnership (SRIP) – Networks for the transition into the circular economy, Strategy Smart City Maribor 2030 and lastly Effective implementation of smart and green solutions from the industry. The presentations were held by representatives of Slovenian industry.

The SMART project supports partner HEIs from target countries, Albania, Bosnia&Herzegovina, and Montenegro, to transcend their role as knowledge providers and become active shapers of the regional innovation ecosystem cooperating with various stakeholders.

The overall objectives of the project are:

• The project will improve the quality of higher education with introducing new learning modules and teaching approaches into HEIs’ curricula, including online teaching, approaches, methods & tools, cross-curricula learning, and virtual mobility approaches and initiatives in higher education, based on peer learning and transfer of experience and good practice affecting not only the institutions but also the society at large. Further, quality of HE will be improved with the development of SMART innovation centres.  
• Trainings and SMART innovation centres will improve the level of competences, and employability of trainees (students, employees) due to updated, innovative and quality trainings.  
• New learning models as well as SMART innovation centres development will improve the training of teachers and have a long-term impact on the education system and consequently improve the innovation capacity of HEIs because developed SMART innovation centres will be integral part of the HEIs in target countries. 

• Involvement of HEIs and business support organizations (BSO) stimulate the cooperation of different institutions, capacity building and exchange of good practices.  
• The creation of a network will increase international collaboration possibilities for all partners.  

Partners on the project are: DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies (Project Coordinator), Milan Polytechnic Foundation, Polytechnic University of Milan, Dresden University of Technology, University of VLORA, University of Korce, University of Shkodër, AULEDA – Local Economic Development Agency, University of Banja Luka, University of East Sarajevo, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Srpska, University of Donja Gorica (UDG), University of Montenegro (UCG) and Chamber of Economy of Montenegro.