The first group of talents seconded to International Society for Professional Innovation Management – ISPIM, United Kingdom

The first group of talents within the USE IPM project stayed in Manchester and London from August 17 to 31, 2024. During this visit partner at the project ISPIM – International Society for Professional Innovation Management from the United Kingdom, organized educational activities in the field of innovation management and visits to companies, institutions supporting the development of entrepreneurship and innovation, and universities.

During the first week in Manchester, project participants had a dynamic and educational introductory lecture on innovation and science policy, as well as the local business environment. On Monday, August 19, after their arrival, ISPIM representatives held a presentation focused on assigning tasks to researchers from BiH, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania related to research and the design of programs for building bridges between the academic community and business (A2B). The researcher also took part in a walking tour of Manchester, led by Jonathan Schofield, which focused on the city’s rich industrial history and its current role as a center for innovation. On Tuesday, August 20, participants delved deeper into the academic side of innovation through a visit to the Manchester Institute for Innovation Research (MIOIR), where experts such as Professor Elvira Ujarra, Kieron Flanagan and Khaleel Malik introduced them to the basics of UK science and technology policy. In the afternoon, they met with representatives of MIDAS, Manchester’s Investment and Development Agency, to learn more about the city’s initiatives in life sciences and healthcare. This gave them an insight into Manchester’s business environment, particularly in sectors relevant to innovation and technological growth. On Wednesday, 21.08. researchers visited the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, and Innospace, a business incubator at this university.

The rest of stay was filled with various visits and workshops, with the aim of providing participants with practical examples of the commercialization of innovations in practice. Through these workshops, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of Manchester’s innovation ecosystem and its application in real-world contexts.