Quick Challenge-driven, Human-centered Co-Creation mechanism for INDUStry-Academia Collaborations

INDUSAC’s main objective is to develop and validate a state-of-the-art, Industry Academia collaboration (IAC) mechanism for quick, challenge-driven, human-centred co-creation. Its aim is to build upon pre-existing IAC mechanisms such as EIT KICs and to facilitate a simple, user-friendly co-creation process that allows to develop solutions that clearly address the needs and interests of companies, students, and researchers in the EU, with special attention to widening and associated countries. Of a highly digitalised nature, our project will pilot the mechanism’s two main components: a methodology developed by applying human-centred design principles and an online platform aimed at connecting stakeholders from the industry-academia ecosystem and at supporting them throughout their co-creation journey. The INDUSAC methodology will provide the guidance and tools needed to power the process, whilst the platform will stand as a networking space for stakeholders to connect, as well as a co-creation arena to develop joint solutions. Through the experience of supporting at least 300 transnational co-creation teams throughout project lifetime, the INDUSAC mechanism and its two key components will be successively improved until project end, delivering a tested mechanism ready for replication and upskilling. It is expected for INDUSAC to also create a dynamic community of industry-academia stakeholders, including at least 1000 companies, 3000 students and 300 researchers by project end. The INDUSAC counts with a strong interdisciplinary, cross-sectorial and geographically balanced partnership that counts with the needed expertise and network to achieve our project’s goals.