Theme1
Sub-Projects – Theme 3 – Socio-cultural integration
Sub-theme 2 – Training, education and cross-border mobility
SWG „Youth for Innovation“ – Summary & results
Today, the key factor for fostering economic growth and business development is innovation. Thus, the need for competent, creative and innovatively thinking and acting workforce is enormous. This is particularly true for border regions which are often in a disadvantageous position as regards their ability to attract domestic and international companies due to their peripheral location and their semi-circular catchment area.
In order to improve the innovative skills of pupils and students and to better respond to the needs and demands of companies located in border regions, the project partners of the SWG “Youth for Innovation” worked on generally applicable training and education tools and vocational schools as well as universities. These tools facilitate the transfer of knowledge on innovation and at the same time provide the opportunity to apply the gained know-how in practice.
The planned activities included in total seven work packages that were carried out in three phases. The first phase started in October 2005 and focused on the exchange of information, experience and know-how among the project partners. In the framework of a kick-off meeting, the educational systems, economic parameters and attitudes towards innovation at schools and in the individual regions were compared in order to better get to know each other. Based on the discussions and the reports of the partners, first ideas for an innovation curriculum applicable at different school levels were developed. In the second phase of the project, these initial ideas were concretised and transformed into three framework curricula offering the opportunity for each participant to adapt it in accordance with its educational system as well as the proposals and needs of the teachers in the respective region. During the second meeting (June 2006), all regions agreed on the final version of the curricula which were tested and practically applied in the third and last phase of the project.
The practical application of the instruments and tools worked out in the initial phase of the project included:
- alectures on innovations and their application at schools and universities,
- elaboration and implementation of 52 mini innovation projects by pupils and students from North Karelia (Finland), Upper Austria (Austria), Lubelskie Region (Poland), South Aegean Region (Greece) and Weser Ems Region (Germany) in cooperation with partners from neighbouring countries.
The first courses and lectures took place in winter 2006 being based on the framework innovation curricula. The participating pupils and students elaborated and implemented different mini innovation projects (financially supported by the SWG “Youth for Innovation”) with the assistance of mentors, teachers and further partners. The scope of the 52 mini-projects was quite broad and included aspects such as:
- Cross-border marketing strategies (e.g. in tourism, food industry etc.)
- innovative internet platforms und websites (e.g. art platform for youth, internet application on regional sales promotions, internet platform for cross-border exchange of students and trainees)
- market research (e.g. survey among van users)
- engineering (e.g. wood moisture calculation)
- cross-border events and initiatives (e.g. Dutch-German rock concert)
- new business concepts (e.g. in tourism, industry)
16 of the 52 mini innovation projects were awarded on the occasion
of the final conference of the sub-project which was attended by more
than 200 participants.
The involved schools, companies and project partners repeatedly emphasised
in their evaluation reports the importance of such projects. In the
region Weser-Ems, the project “Youth for Innovation” will
be continued for the next three years as a cross-border INTERREG IV
A project with financial support from the Ems Dollart Region.
For further information see also: www.y4i.net.
