The Mint Project

Adapting, Improving and Disseminating an INnovation Management Training package through Blended Learning

Innovation is vital to both enterprises and countriesthat need to transform new ideas rapidly into technical and commercialsuccesses in order to maintain growth, competitiveness and jobs. Nevertheless,innovation is probably the least understood and controlled of any company’smain processes. Due to this, businesses require continuous training ininnovation in order to remain competitive. One way to accomplish this isthrough benchmarking innovation management techniques from successfulenterprises to less successful ones. SMEs account for 99% of Europe’s companiesand approximately two-thirds of employment, playing an important and essentialrole in the European economy and contributing to fostering the “innovationculture”. Given that SMEs are almost synonymous with the European Union, it isimperative that these organisations are supported and encouraged to pursueinnovative processes and mechanisms. Rapid changes in information andcommunication technologies, as well as the recent enlargement of the EU have resultedin differing levels and approaches to innovation across Europe, which vary fromone country to another, as well as across regions, industries and enterprises.

This Transfer ofInnovation Project (TIP) seeks to adapt, update and promote the findings of aformer Leonardo project which primarily dealt with innovation managementtechniques and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), while simultaneouslydeveloping relevant and innovative e-learning content (in accordance to Priority 3 in the Call for Proposals2007). The primary target group for this project is made up of owners, managersand high-level personnel of SMEs in targeted industrial sectors. The secondarytarget group includes University departments of Industrial Engineering &Management courses, as well as trainers, designers and managers of trainingprogrammes.

The main aims andobjectives of the project are:

• To adapt, and improve theinnovation management training package produced by the former project accordingto the needs of the new target groups, sectors, cultures, languages;

• To employ blended learning techniques by developing an online courseregarding innovation management tools;

• To pilot and promote thetraining package to SME owners, managers and trainers through workshops andconferences;

• To assist SMEs’ owners, managers and higher-level personnel in obtaininginnovation management skills and in understanding how firms in other MemberStates have successfully implemented innovation;

• To foster an innovation culture among European businesses and generatediscussion, exchange of ideas / views and transfer of experience on innovationmanagement.

Thepartnership consortium is made up of 9 partners from 7 European countries (BE,CY, EL, ES, IT, LT and UK). The consortiumof partners was established in such a way that all the determined results couldbe achieved. All partners share extensive knowledge on the different tasks thathave to be elaborated within the project, and their activities will becomplementing and supporting each other throughout the entire duration of theproject. In addition, the consortium of the partners will be complemented bytwo experts coming from the academic as well as professional sectors.

Themain outcomes of the project include the production of an innovation managementtraining package. This package will consist of a booklet, a CD-ROM and a guidefor trainers. Additionally, an e-learning course will be developed as part ofthe training package and will consist of the upgraded and adapted material aswell as role-playing/simulation exercises based on actual accounts. It isenvisioned that the training package can be used in a traditional setting (witha tutor) as well as through private usage (i.e. the e-learning content of thepackage). The innovation management training package will be produced inEnglish and translated into 4 other languages (GRE, ITA, LIT and SPA).Additional products/results include a Project Website, promotional leaflet andinformative newsletters which will be utilised to promote the project and itsfindings. The training package will be at the disposal of the Commission andwill be disseminated through EfVET – one of the consortium partners. Impact isanticipated at the national educational and vocational training systems of thetarget countries, the existing training structures and approaches, as well asthe trainees’ attitude towards new Teaching and Learning Technology (TLT).

http://www.mintproject.org/


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Full name of organization in English: IMCS Intercollege Ltd.
Full name of organization in local language:
Abbreviation of organizations name: Intercollege
Country: Cyprus
Official Contact Person and Coordinating/Lead Partner: Stylianos Mavromoustakos and Costa Constanti
Contact: mavromoustakos.s@intercollege.ac.cy +35722841570/constanti.c@intercollege.ac.cy +35722841719


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Full name of organization in English: Norton Radstock college
Full name of organization in local language: As above
Abbreviation of organizations name: NRC
Country: United Kingdom
Official Contact Person: Peter Hodgson and Marny Thompson
Contact: peter.hodgson@nortcoll.ac.uk / marny.thompson@nortcoll.ac.uk+441761433161


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Full name of organization in English: MARIJAMPOLE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRE
Full name of organization in local language: MARIJAMPOLES PROFESINIO RENGIMO CENTRAS
Abbreviation of organizations name: MVET Centre (English); MPRC (Lithuanian)
Country: Lithuania
Official Contact Person: Rasa Zygmantaite
Contact: rasa@simnetas.lt +370/34368640


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Full name of organization in English: European Forum for Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Full name of organization in local language:
Abbreviation of organizations name: EfVET
Country: Belgium
Official Contact Person: Raimo Sivonen Contact: efvet@efvet.org


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Full name of organization in English: Centro Servizi “Cultura Sviluppo” Srl
Full name of organization in local language: Centro Servizi “Cultura Sviluppo” Srl
Abbreviation of organizations name: CSCS
Country: Italy
Official Contact Person: Stefano Tirati
Contact: stefano@cscs.it +39057350444


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Full name of organization in English: SPANISH CONFEDERATION OF TRAINING CENTRES
Full name of organization in local language: CONFEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE CENTROS DE ENSEÑANZA
Abbreviation of organizations name: CECE
Country: Spain
Official Contact Person: Marián de Villanueva
Contact: marian@cec.es +34/917257909


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Full name of organization in English: ATLANTIS Consulting S.A.
Full name of organization in local language: ΑΤΛΑΝΤΙΣ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΙΚΗ Α.Ε. – ΑΤΛΑΝΤΙΣ
Abbreviation of organizations name: ATLANTIS
Country: Greece
Official Contact Person: Ioanna Garefi
Contact: garefi@atlantisresearch.gr +30/2310531000


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Full name of organization in English: VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER RESEARCH & COMMUNICATION COMPANY
Full name of organization in local language: Κέντρο Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης Εταιρεία Έρευνας και Επικοινωνίας
Abbreviation of organizations name: KEKEEE
Country: Greece
Official Contact Person: Ioanna Bora
Contact: ioanna.b@elinyae.gr / mahlim@kekeee.gr +30/2104932705


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Full name of organization in English: Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation
Full name of organization in local language: Ομοσπονδία Εργοδοτών & Βιομηχάνων
Abbreviation of organizations name: OEB
Country: Cyprus
Official Contact Person: Petros Petrou
Contact: ppetrou@oeb.org.cy +35722665102


The project is funded by the European Union’s Education and Culture Sector, by the Leonardo da Vinci Life Long Learning program:

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