Universities of applied sciences and SMEs will work together to increase the innovative capacity of SMEs. This will happen through the innovation traineeship that is officially launched yesterday.
Students are offered a job as a researcher at the company where they completed their innovation traineeship. During this entire period, a professor from the university of applied sciences is involved in the research of the so-called innovation trainee. During that period, the students are also trained in entrepreneurial and management skills.
In the coming months, universities of applied sciences will be looking for entrepreneurs in their region who can place an innovation trainee. After approval of their research plans, the first trainees can start in January 2021. About 200 trainees can start in the coming months. The scheme involves 3.9 million euros.
The innovation traineeship is part of the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant and is an initiative of the top sectors ChemistryNL, Agri & Food and Logistics that is implemented by Regieorgaan SIA (part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, NWO).
Tom van Aken, SME representative Top Team ChemistryNL: “For successful innovation we need good entrepreneurs and talent. We want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to collaborate with talent from universities of applied sciences to develop new products and services. The idea of the innovation traineeship originated within the Top Sector ChemistryNL to bring entrepreneurs and talent together. It is good to see that the traineeship is now actually starting.”
Read the full article on Rijksoverheid.nl
Visit the SIA website for more information about the innovation traineeships.
