Matrix of knowledge for innovation and competitiveness in textile enterprises Erasmus Project

Project Title

Matrix of knowledge for innovation and competitiveness in textile enterprises

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Research and innovation

Project Summary

The textile industry in Europe faces big challenges for qualified personnel and requires implementation of new research results. In order to keep their competitive advantage, textile enterprises have to focus on innovation. The gap between modern requirements at the workplace and the current skills of young apprentices has to be bridged by up-to-date educational materials. The Knowledge Matrix for Innovation (KMI) is a management instrument for quantifying the intangible assets of an enterprise. It is used to describe the assets of an enterprise. The project’s main aim is to increase the capacity of innovation and training in textile enterprises, by defining and implementing the KMI.
Objectives:
1. Development of work-based training envisaging key competences both to employers and employees in the textile field;
2. Improving the innovation capacity and training methodology of textile enterprises with the support of research providers;
3. Fostering use of ICT in innovation process within textile enterprises;
4. Improving the strategic cooperation between research providers and enterprises in textiles at transnational level.
The consortium of the project tackling these objectives, reflects a very well-balanced distribution of activities and responsibilities. There are two research institutes (INCDTP = coordinator, Centrocot) and two universities (University Maribor, Technical University Iasi) and one training / technology transfer center (TecMinho), from 4 countries with important contribution to the textile industry in Europe: Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia.
The project’s consortium undertook the following main activities:
1. The KMI was defined, processed and adapted for textile enterprises. The structure of the KMI consists of Elements, Criteria and Factors on one dimension and of Conditions, Resources, Activities and Results on the second dimension. Thus, the project partners carefully prepared and synthesized the 52 Factors of the KMI.
2. The KMI was transformed into a Benchmarking questionnaire (BMQ) and the partners conducted the benchmarking activity by receiving questionnaires from 64 enterprises from the 4 partner countries both in online and written format.
3. A Benchmarking report on European / partnership level as well as 4 Benchmarking reports on national level were prepared with the comparative situation to the European average. Moreover, dedicated reports for each participating enterprise were issued with the comparative situation to the European and National average (this outcome was not initially foreseen).
4. A SWOT analysis was conducted to the Benchmarking report on European level and based on the identified Opportunities and they provided a number of 35 project’s solutions. The link between Opportunities and Solutions was performed by a cluster table. Moreover, an entire Guide with new solutions was prepared in all partner’s languages (IT, PT, RO and SI) and English, including the modules:
Elements specific to innovation
Instruments for supporting and promoting innovation
Innovation based on scientific results (project solutions)
Legislative framework for protecting innovation
5. The e-learning tool with all these OER was implemented with the URL address www.advan2tex.eu/portal . The Moodle platform includes special customized e-learning courses in all partner’s languages and 658 user accounts.
6. Five blended courses and five multiplier events (one by each partner) were organized and unfolded for ensuring a proper impact to the envisaged target group, based on the performed outcomes.
The results attained were:
• 199 stakeholders in textiles prepared within multiplier events (instead of 100 initially foreseen);
• 137 young trainees in textiles prepared within blended courses (instead of 95 initially foreseen);
• 64 textile enterprises involved within the Benchmarking activity (instead of 50 initially foreseen);
• One new Erasmus+ / strategic partnership project proposal won in the 2018 competition.
The impact of the project was achieved on five levels:
1. Upon participants from the textile industry (stakeholders): a number of 19 textile enterprises interested in the project solutions and improved links research-industry;
2. Upon young trainees: 36 trainees counseled for their career path and 16 trainees intending to follow a job in textiles or related fields;
3. Upon participating organizations: improved project management skills and cooperation relationships;
4. Upon the dissemination target group: 23 papers in scientific magazines and conference proceedings, 29 PPT presentations at events, 20 poster presentations at fairs, 24 posts in newsletters and press releases, 26 links to social media networks and 44 other presentations at info days, symposia, cluster meetings etc.
5. Upon project’s website visitors (599 different users with 730 sessions) and e-learning tool visitors (620 different users with 1922 sessions).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 131757 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEXTILE SI PIELARIE & Country: RO

Project Partners

• ASSOCIACAO UNIVERSIDADE EMPRESA PARA DESENVOLVIMENTO TECMINHO
• UNIVERZA V MARIBORU
• UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA GHEORGHE ASACHI DIN IASI
• CENTRO TESSILE COTONIERO E ABBIGLIAMENTO SPA