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SPICE – Students Powering Innovations in Collaboration with Enterprises

The SPICE project aims to strengthen the regional innovation dynamics by involving both SMEs, institutions and students from higher education in a Triple-Helix constellation.

The aim is to release the untapped innovation potential that exists in both industrial- and knowledge-partners. In addition, the project will seek to maintain the innovation potential in the region and prevent the so-called brain drain, where academically talented students leave the region and thus they can’t be conducive to strengthening the innovative force among the regional companies.

Cooperation and Innovation

The project partners are working on strengthening the innovative and entrepreneurial skills among students and SMEs via three innovative approaches:

  1. Through a close cooperation between students and SMEs obtained access to the innovation potential of higher education. Through project-based courses and events students are offered to work with real business challenges from the participating SMEs.
  2. The spectrum of business ideas are based on an “Entrepreneurial Discovery” process (EU Strategy S3) systematically expanded both entrepreneurial ideas and business innovations qualified through mutual cooperation.
  3. The newly developed event formats and development concepts must be used within the thematic fields “Green Transition”, “Green Economy” and “Women’s Entrepreneurship” complemented with targeted support.

The development is anchored around two newly established Innovation Labs that are placed respectively in Sønderborg at the Mads Clausen Institute at the University of Southern Denmark and in Wissenschaftszentrum in Kiel. Here is given the opportunity to foster collaboration between industry and students.

Along with the new Green Entrepreneurship Center and Women Entrepreneurship Coordination Office, will the two innovation labs be permanent platforms of cooperation – even after the project ends.

Partners in SPICE Network:

 

This project is funded by The European Regional Development Fund:
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