Pilot Project Innovation Internships (R-5574)

Both from companies and organizations and from higher education, there exists a strong demand for a good connection between education and the labour market and towards de development of innovative competences. The 'Innovatiestages' pilot project would like to meet this demand. The 'Innovatiestages' pilot project is a joint initiative of the faculties responsible for the programs Industrial Engineer on five Flemish Universities. At the execution of this Flanders-broad project, all provincial innovation centers will be closely involved and play an important role. The innovation internships aim to improve the connection between companies and organizations - labour market - professional practice. They are part of the concept 'werkplekleren'. This is experience based learning taking place as an active construction process in a real work situation, with actual problems from the work practice as learning object. 'Werkplekleren' develops knowledge, skills, and attitudes (competences) inspired by forms of learning in the workplace and find themselves within an educational context. So the work situation acts as a learning environment. Comparing the practice of internships in other countries, the planned innovation internships focus on an additional dimension, that functions to contribute to innovative projects with project providers. These providers are searched in a broad target group of companies, university labs, university hospitals, research institutions and CSOs. Concerning companies, special attention is paid on the involvement of KMO's in the innovation internships.

Keywords:innovation Stage, workplace learning

Disciplines:Process engineering, Ceramic and glass materials, Composites and hybrid materials, Materials science and engineering, Polymeric materials, Semiconductor materials