EU-Supported Project Reaches 542 Participants

The ‘IDEAL’ project, prepared by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem across the city and accelerate development in innovation and technology, has reached 542 people in a short time. Implemented simultaneously with educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy, the project received €1.4 million in funding from the European Union. Within the scope of the project, special sustainability-focused training sessions were provided to academics and students., Stating that they had reached a significant number of participants within nine months, Project Coordinator Prof. Dr. Arzu Vuruşkan, a faculty member of the Department of Textile and Fashion Design at IUE said, “We developed an applicable training model for the creative and cultural industries. We will continue the training sessions without interruption.”

One of the European Union’s most prestigious research and innovation programs, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Higher Education Initiative (EIT-HEI), carefully reviewed 1,480 applications from 55 countries and selected 47 projects to receive funding. The Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship and Academic Learning for Creative Industries (IDEAL) project, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Arzu Vuruşkan, was among the limited number of supported projects. The IDEAL project, which began last year, successfully completed its first phase. It has also been decided that the second-term consortium meeting will be hosted by Izmir University of Economics in March.

“WE DEVELOPED A NEW EDUCATION MODEL”

Sharing details about the project, Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan said: “With a project-based approach, we provided training in design for the digital future, smart and sustainable products, and innovative entrepreneurship for the creative industries. We developed an applicable training model for the creative and cultural industries. Students, in particular, showed strong interest in sector-specific content and short entrepreneurship-focused courses. Participants who successfully completed the group-based training sessions were awarded the EIT–IDEAL certificate. By continuing our training programs, we aim to reach more than one thousand people.”

“WE OPENED TWO NEW COURSES”

Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan also noted that, for the first time at IUE, two micro-credential-based courses were launched: “Design and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Futures” and “Sustainable Innovations for the Digital Future and Cultural Heritage.” She said, “With our IDEAL project, we have taken another important institutional step at our University. These newly opened courses have also been added to the catalog of our University’s Office of Micro-Credentials.”

“A MENTORSHIP MODEL WAS DESIGNED”

Stating that an Innovation Development Plan (IDP) was designed as a personalized mentorship model for entrepreneurs, within the scope of the Project, Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan said, “The IDP was developed from scratch as a unique methodology that identifies criteria for mentor–entrepreneur matching based on the needs of entrepreneurs at different development stages. In the first phase of the project, we also provided eight weeks of personalized mentorship to a company established with support from TUBITAK 1812 Entrepreneurship Support Program. The IDP model was tested during this process. Another innovation that strengthened the project’s support services was BRIDGE, an artificial intelligence-supported digital platform. We aim to further develop the IDP and use it in different training programs in the upcoming period. The IDP can serve as a role model for such training programs.”

“GUESTS FROM FOUR COUNTRIES WILL ATTEND”

Noting that the second phase of IDEAL will focus on disseminating, scaling, and institutionalizing the tools and models developed in the first phase, Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan concluded, “The second-term consortium meeting will be hosted by our University. Our project partners from Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain will attend. Although no training activities were carried out in Spain, we have a partner there who supports us. On this occasion, we will also host two guests from Spain at our University. This meeting is strategically important for our University and the region. IDEAL will contribute to universities in the Aegean Region taking on a stronger ‘hub’ role within the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Izmir University of Economics assuming a pioneering role in this transformation creates an important opportunity for strengthening regional collaborations and significantly increasing entrepreneurship capacity in the creative and cultural industries.”