Innovative Policies and Production: EIT Manufacturing hosted a unique training session in Ukraine.

The aim of the event was to provide practical examples specifically designed for the Ukrainian ecosystem, focused on enhancing skills in the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive innovation policy for the manufacturing sector by government representatives, researchers, and businesses shaping domestic innovation policy.

The event was opened by Dr. Konstantinos GEORGOULIAS, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at EIT Manufacturing:

"We are very pleased to present this training directly to you, the important stakeholders invited to this event, to exchange ideas and share best practices that will contribute to enhancing the country’s innovative capacity. This program has been running for the fourth consecutive year; we have already implemented it in Slovakia, Turkey, and the Western Balkan countries, and this year, we are conducting it in Ukraine.

We do this because we know that one of Europe’s main goals is to strengthen competitiveness, and to achieve this objective, we must work not only in certain regions but across all of Europe, including, of course, Ukraine."

The cases and presentations by speakers aimed to demonstrate to Ukrainians the impact of a well-thought-out innovation policy on the growth and sustainability of the country's innovation ecosystem, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

The training consisted of three workshops and six sessions, which included examples of best practices and ideas regarding:

— the influence of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and EIT Manufacturing on skill and competency development for the industry and alliances for leading innovations in the manufacturing sector;

— creating the proper conditions for dual green and digital transitions;

— utilizing policy levers and knowledge transfer to strengthen innovation ecosystems.

The first day of training focused on leading innovations in the manufacturing sector. Participants delved into studying strategies, methodologies, and initiatives developed by both the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and EIT Manufacturing. They listened to professional and inspiring presentations on this topic from renowned speakers: Dr. Konstantinos GEORGOULIAS, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs & Strategic Initiatives, EIT Manufacturing, Mr. Massimo GAUDINA, Policy Coordinator for the New European Innovation Agenda, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), European Commission, Dr. Christian BÖLLING, EIT Manufacturing Central Region, Ms. Anna Taraczközi, Innovation Policy Officer, EIT — European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Ms. Merel Leppens, Policy Officer Innovation and EIT, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission, and Herwig Zeiner, Key Researcher at JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft GmbH.

Speakers particularly emphasized the discussion of programs and initiatives that open numerous opportunities to foster alliances that can become leaders in innovation in the manufacturing sector, particularly through funding, collaboration, and shared knowledge platforms. They also discussed the results, impacts, and benefits for the regions involved.

In the second session, participants focused on the digital and ecological transformations of the manufacturing sector, which are crucial for establishing sustainability and competitiveness. Participants explored the European Commission's approach to Industry 5.0 and Sweden's research and innovation policy. Additionally, they were presented with the Single Market Program, which improves internal market governance through the implementation of European standards, including environmental indicators.

Mr. Martin Dan (Pannon Business Network (PBN)) and Dr. Kosmas Alexopoulos (Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS)) presented best practices supporting the dual transition for startups, SMEs, and large corporations respectively. Furthermore, the session covered the principles of EIT Manufacturing Central Region and EIT Community HUB, highlighting their contributions to interregional innovation ecosystems and providing examples of collaboration with national and regional authorities. Participants had the opportunity to listen to and ask questions to EIT Manufacturing representatives Dr. Panagiota TSAROUCHI and Dr. Verónica Rodríguez, as well as European Commission representative Ms. Hettel Varik.

The program for the third and final day of the seminar "Best Practices in Innovation Policy for Government Authorities" included workshops on the functioning of innovation ecosystems and knowledge transfer. Participants immersed themselves in various aspects of fostering innovation, stimulating knowledge exchange, and strengthening ties between academia and business.

The session showcased the Estonian innovation ecosystem, an overview of effective strategies for promoting innovation, effective knowledge transfer, and supporting startups. Participants also learned about the driving innovation ecosystem presented by Ms. Eden Dvir-Zano, Managing Director, EIT Hub Israel. In her presentation, the expert not only emphasized the value of uniting efforts from government, business, communities, and researchers to support technological startups but also highlighted the importance of solidarity and support for one another during wartime.

During the workshop, Mr. Krzysztof Lipiec, Director of the Commercialisation Department at PIAP (Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements), shared successful experiences in promoting industrial automation and research innovations in Poland.

Closing the training, Olga Trofymova, President of CMC-Ukraine, EIT Manufacturing Central Manager in Ukraine, Cluster Manager of the Ukrainian Automotive and Mobility Cluster, and Director of the Quality Center, addressed the participants:

"Thank you to the colleagues for organizing this exceptionally interesting training and workshop, and thank you to all participants who joined these events, despite expectations that Ukrainians would stop being interested in innovations, progress, and integration into the European innovation community today.

EIT Manufacturing became the first organization open to Ukraine since May 2022, and by 2023, I became the manager of EIT Manufacturing in Ukraine; it is a great honor.

Thank you for staying with Ukraine and supporting us!"

Participants, numbering over 60, noted the value of the event, the high quality of the provided materials, practical tools, and real examples that can help accelerate sustainable development and innovation policy in Ukraine.