Quadruple-helix-based knowledge valorisation best practices to transition to an Open Science innovation management model

Project Information

Kaleidos

Grant agreement ID: 101132079

DOI

10.3030/101132079

EC signature date 14 September 2023

Start date 1 February 2024

End date 31 July 2026

Funded under

• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System

Total cost

€ 1 069 225,00

EU contribution

€ 1 069 225,00

Coordinated by

WEDO PROJECT INTELLIGENCE MADE EASY SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Kaleidos (Quadruple-helix-based knowledge valorisation best practices to transition to an Open Science innovation management model)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

KALEIDOS brings together research and innovation managers and advisors from a group of 4 European universities and one SME with strong competence on Knowledge Valorisation (KV) and Open Science (OS) that will, in partnership with a low-intensive KV university, collaborate for competence exchange and development, cross-learning and skill sharing, network building and consolidation, and quadruple-helix (QH) interaction-based knowledge valorisation best practices (KVBP) sharing and refinement. They will share their KVBP and enhance them by embedding actions with QH stakeholders of their local ecosystems throughout all research stages (from challenge definition to establishment of multidisciplinary research and innovation teams, generation of innovations to respond to existing needs, design of project concepts and funding applications, and actual project implementation and advancement of results to the market).

Ultimately, this process will develop a comprehensive set of knowledge and social innovation and OS approaches and practices, to be piloted within universities and with their ecosystems. The piloting will be assessed including a set of indicators for measuring OS and social innovation impact. KALEIDOS will also define, with QH actors, the competences and skills relevant for OS professional profiles (both researchers and managers) and the associated capacity-building training programmes for universities and research centres. Generated resources, action plans, guidelines, and peer-sharing professional network will be made available for any university or research centre to replicate the exercise adapted to their specific context and needs.

Policy recommendations will be developed at national and European level to contribute to the European advancement of the OS policy framework. Ultimately, KALEIDOS aims to consolidate a methodology and associated tools and guidelines to help universities and research centres in their transition towards an OS and social innovation management approach at all stages of research knowledge valorisation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In its first 18 months the KALEIDOS has progressed towards its goals. The consortium has worked intensively within the project universities’ ecosystems to establish a shared understanding of project key concepts; define the networks of relevance at each ecosystem; characterise and harmonize the KVBP brought into the project and outline the overall KALEIDOS toolkit; define the key skills and competences required for professional profiles of research and innovation managers and researchers, and develop suitable training programmes; establish the impact metrics to consider; and devise the first policy guidelines.

The KVBP within the toolkit have been implemented at UAB, UNIBO, KAU and UL, and the outcomes and learnings have informed the establishment of the most suitable online format for sharing and piloting the toolkit at naïve setting(s) in the next reporting period, including the definition of structure and content. In addition, specific new tools have been conceptualized to support the self-assessment of future toolkit users in what concerns institutional KV readiness and specific skills and competences to enhance amongst their teams, so that they are best equipped for initiating the toolkit use.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In its first period KALEIDOS has advanced towards the plan consecution generating results:
- Set of skills and competences identified for professionals (researchers and research and innovation managers) working torwards KV based on OS approaches
- Tools for organizational self-assessment on the KV maturity level and for the assessment of capacity building needs
- Tool for DSS towards the improvement of KV and innovation activities, with recommendations based on the outcomes of the impact indicators implemented
- Online toolkit design (to be developed and tested in the second reporting period)

All the above has been generated bringing together a set of preexisting KVBP from the consortium, that have been shared, revised, improved and consolidated in a single toolkit.
The aim is to assist organizations in their transition to a new KV management system based on OS principles.