Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EINST4INE (European Training Network for InduStry Digital Transformation across Innovation Ecosystems)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-12-31
Digital trends are transforming business worldwide, fundamentally changing the way organisations operate, and reshaping work and society. The success of industrial digital transformation is dependent on highly skilled individuals that are open-minded, creative, and possess multidisciplinary capabilities.
The primary goal of EINST4INE (the European Training Network for Industry Digital Transformation across Innovation Ecosystems) has been to cultivate a new generation of highly skilled Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) in innovation and technology management through comprehensive training and knowledge-building within the broadly defined field of industry digital transformation across innovation ecosystems.
Drawing on world-class research and practice across various disciplines underpinning digital transformations (including open innovation, industry 4.0 innovation ecosystems), this interdisciplinary and intersectoral programme aimed to examine how digital transformation changes business logic in multiple and diverse industries and enables the emergence and further development of innovation ecosystems.
This has been addressed in four research sub-objectives:
- develop a knowledge base on the human side of digital transformation including new ways of working through human-machine interaction;
- examine organizational approaches to successfully coordinate digital initiatives as well as embed digital tools and methods to support complex strategic decision-making processes;
- examine how technologies enable innovation ecosystem emergence, mechanisms, and strategies for capturing value from technology-enabled innovation ecosystems;
- explore and identify novel approaches of innovation ecosystem orchestration.
EINST4INE aimed to address current digital transformation research gaps through individual, organizational, and ecosystem perspectives, and by undertaking a holistic analysis of various industries and innovation ecosystems.
Through strong industry engagement, including secondments and training events, EINST4INE provided ESRs with invaluable hands-on experience. EINST4INE has successfully enhanced the career prospects and employability of the ESRs, both within and beyond academia. The project effectively developed their skills and strengthened European innovation capacity by fostering collaboration between academia and industry. Notably, some ESRs have already secured high-level positions in the digital sector and leading academic institutions, demonstrating the project's impact on their professional trajectories.
The primary goal of EINST4INE (the European Training Network for Industry Digital Transformation across Innovation Ecosystems) has been to cultivate a new generation of highly skilled Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) in innovation and technology management through comprehensive training and knowledge-building within the broadly defined field of industry digital transformation across innovation ecosystems.
Drawing on world-class research and practice across various disciplines underpinning digital transformations (including open innovation, industry 4.0 innovation ecosystems), this interdisciplinary and intersectoral programme aimed to examine how digital transformation changes business logic in multiple and diverse industries and enables the emergence and further development of innovation ecosystems.
This has been addressed in four research sub-objectives:
- develop a knowledge base on the human side of digital transformation including new ways of working through human-machine interaction;
- examine organizational approaches to successfully coordinate digital initiatives as well as embed digital tools and methods to support complex strategic decision-making processes;
- examine how technologies enable innovation ecosystem emergence, mechanisms, and strategies for capturing value from technology-enabled innovation ecosystems;
- explore and identify novel approaches of innovation ecosystem orchestration.
EINST4INE aimed to address current digital transformation research gaps through individual, organizational, and ecosystem perspectives, and by undertaking a holistic analysis of various industries and innovation ecosystems.
Through strong industry engagement, including secondments and training events, EINST4INE provided ESRs with invaluable hands-on experience. EINST4INE has successfully enhanced the career prospects and employability of the ESRs, both within and beyond academia. The project effectively developed their skills and strengthened European innovation capacity by fostering collaboration between academia and industry. Notably, some ESRs have already secured high-level positions in the digital sector and leading academic institutions, demonstrating the project's impact on their professional trajectories.
Key achievements of EINST4INE since its beginning include:
- Successful recruitment and selection campaign that was carefully planned and executed in the first months of the project.
- Organisation of seven full Consortium events (Orientation Bootcamp, Digital Innovation Bootcamp, First Summer School, Robotics Workshop, Second Summer School, Enabling Technologies Workshop and Final Event), emphasizing networking, research and transferable skills trainings, knowledge transfer between academia and industry within and beyond Consortium members. The events were organised in collaboration with prestigious entities, such as Universal Robots, the STIM Consortium and ARENA2036, which helped widen the platform for networking and knowledge dissemination. Overall, these events were crucial in fostering collaboration, enhancing the visibility of the project, and providing networking opportunities. In addition, the Industry Engagement Task Force (led by ESRs) organised three webinars in collaboration with Industry partners from EINST4INE consortium and beyond, and open to the wider public.
- Submission of 14 scientific reports that were collaboratively developed engaging ESRs with industry partners and external stakeholders providing valuable inputs and assisting in developing case studies. These reports encompassed the advancements and innovations achieved, contributing to the body of knowledge in innovation and technology management. The timely submission of these reports highlights the project's dedication to its objectives and the efficient coordination among its partners.
- Industry secondments and conference presentations by ESRs. They presented their research at over 30 international conferences, gaining valuable exposure and feedback from the global scientific community. Noteworthy achievements include winning prestigious awards (such as the Knut Holt Best Paper Award at the ISPIM Conference and the Relevant and Responsible Research Award at the EURAM Conference). These presentations not only showcased their research advancements and accomplishments but also enhanced the visibility and impact of the EINST4INE project on a global scale. ESRs have completed more than 60 months of secondments.
- Promoting EINST4INE visual identity and building social media presence (e.g. EINST4INE LinkedIn has over 1,600 followers and actively promotes the project, its results and profiles of the participating researchers and organisations). ESRs have also actively contributed to dissemination of the project activities the ESRs Blog, with 90 blog publications. Partners have published news stories and posts about EINST4INE Events and ESRs secondments, also contributing to a broader visibility.
- Successful recruitment and selection campaign that was carefully planned and executed in the first months of the project.
- Organisation of seven full Consortium events (Orientation Bootcamp, Digital Innovation Bootcamp, First Summer School, Robotics Workshop, Second Summer School, Enabling Technologies Workshop and Final Event), emphasizing networking, research and transferable skills trainings, knowledge transfer between academia and industry within and beyond Consortium members. The events were organised in collaboration with prestigious entities, such as Universal Robots, the STIM Consortium and ARENA2036, which helped widen the platform for networking and knowledge dissemination. Overall, these events were crucial in fostering collaboration, enhancing the visibility of the project, and providing networking opportunities. In addition, the Industry Engagement Task Force (led by ESRs) organised three webinars in collaboration with Industry partners from EINST4INE consortium and beyond, and open to the wider public.
- Submission of 14 scientific reports that were collaboratively developed engaging ESRs with industry partners and external stakeholders providing valuable inputs and assisting in developing case studies. These reports encompassed the advancements and innovations achieved, contributing to the body of knowledge in innovation and technology management. The timely submission of these reports highlights the project's dedication to its objectives and the efficient coordination among its partners.
- Industry secondments and conference presentations by ESRs. They presented their research at over 30 international conferences, gaining valuable exposure and feedback from the global scientific community. Noteworthy achievements include winning prestigious awards (such as the Knut Holt Best Paper Award at the ISPIM Conference and the Relevant and Responsible Research Award at the EURAM Conference). These presentations not only showcased their research advancements and accomplishments but also enhanced the visibility and impact of the EINST4INE project on a global scale. ESRs have completed more than 60 months of secondments.
- Promoting EINST4INE visual identity and building social media presence (e.g. EINST4INE LinkedIn has over 1,600 followers and actively promotes the project, its results and profiles of the participating researchers and organisations). ESRs have also actively contributed to dissemination of the project activities the ESRs Blog, with 90 blog publications. Partners have published news stories and posts about EINST4INE Events and ESRs secondments, also contributing to a broader visibility.
The main progress and impact of the EINST4INE project is built around enhancing the career perspectives and employability of researchers and contribution to their skills development.
- Significant efforts have been made to jointly develop comprehensive training programs, which have built a comprehensive set of skills and tools that, combined with supervision and mentoring arrangements, and an exposure to different sectors and environments, have contributed to increasing the ESRs employability and improve their career prospects both in and outside academia.
- A knowledge base has been developed across four thematic areas of digital transformation captured in reports and scientific journals, and disseminated through various means (e.g. social media, conference presentations, workshops)
- EINST4INE has contributed to providing career booster opportunities to women in the field of Digital Transformation and Innovation, including cross-cultural and gender aspects in research and practice (10 EINST4INE ESRs were female).
- Long-lasting cooperation mechanisms will continue beyond the Project. EINST4INE has established an engaged network that will create future opportunities of collaboration, which have already materialized with new joint projects.
- Significant efforts have been made to jointly develop comprehensive training programs, which have built a comprehensive set of skills and tools that, combined with supervision and mentoring arrangements, and an exposure to different sectors and environments, have contributed to increasing the ESRs employability and improve their career prospects both in and outside academia.
- A knowledge base has been developed across four thematic areas of digital transformation captured in reports and scientific journals, and disseminated through various means (e.g. social media, conference presentations, workshops)
- EINST4INE has contributed to providing career booster opportunities to women in the field of Digital Transformation and Innovation, including cross-cultural and gender aspects in research and practice (10 EINST4INE ESRs were female).
- Long-lasting cooperation mechanisms will continue beyond the Project. EINST4INE has established an engaged network that will create future opportunities of collaboration, which have already materialized with new joint projects.