SME Cluster Growth brings together nine partners from seven European countries. It consists of six HEIs, a business professional, a VET service provider, and a University Industry Network.
The consortium is coordinated from University of Malaga, Spain by Dr. Clara Plata Ríos who has over 10 years management experience of national and European projects at the University of Malaga. Five other HEIs form the partnership. University of Alcalá, based in Madrid are pilot testing and evaluating the Cluster Growth programme while the University of Bologna will pilot test the Student SME Consultancy and Perspective programme. IMTBS is one of 13 graduate schools in the Institut Mines- Télécom, one of France’s major educational and research establishments. With close links to business and government and expertise in management and entrepreneurship it will work on early-stage research to guide this project.
Munster Technological University, Ireland engages extensively with enterprise and industry in Ireland. In this project, they will coordinate valorisation and capacity building. Istanbul Technical University (ITU) facilitates the knowledge and technology transfer to industries, through its multiple Techno-Science parks, incubation, entrepreneurship, and innovation centre. It will gather feedback and conduct evaluation towards the end of this project.
The programme training modules will be developed by Finnish business professionals, Crazy Town who specialise in promoting university-business-cooperation. Vocational Education Training (VET) service provider Momentum in Ireland will lead quality assurance and the sharing and promotional activities having experience in helping companies to improve their competitiveness through cluster initiatives, in engineering, food and creative industries.
University Industry Innovation Network, (UIIN), Netherlands is a European-wide network that focuses on establishing and improving relationships between education and industry. UIIN will lead the Student SME consultancy and change of perspective programme as well as guide the development of the project beyond its three years to maximise sustainability.
For more information on each organisation and project leader, click here.
