The EEA has allocated EUR 149,216 to this project that will run over two years.
‘Exchanging experience of technology and knowledge transfer will be important, as it will helping students and researchers to get in touch with the industry,’ says Professor Anis Yazidi at the OsloMet Artificial Intelligence Lab.
‘This is adapted to OsloMet's strategies for promoting interdisciplinary research, artificial intelligence and innovation, and thus highly relevant to our university.’
The project got off the ground through a research collaboration between the AI lab at OsloMet and the Czech university, which has resulted in publications in good research journals.
Show the way from idea to market
One of the goals is to develop a course that can show researchers and students how they can get product ideas to the market.
Many of the researchers and students are innovative and have outstanding ideas that could benefit the society, but these ideas often end up in a drawer, due to a lack of knowledge about how to protect intellectual property rights and commercialize those ideas.
Opens up academia for commercialization
A lot of research and innovation takes place behind closed doors that does not make it out of academia. In some cases, ideas can be commercialised, but the threshold is often so high that this does not happen.
The University of Hradec Králové is a leading university in technology in the Czech Republic, with good links to the industry, and it collaborates with numerous companies, including large companies like Skoda.
‘They are very aware of the importance of research, and prepare students to use ideas, which can culminate in products.’
‘It is also useful for the universities in the two countries to exchange experience, and both OsloMet and the University of Hradec Králové have extensive experience of innovation and commercialisation.’
Develops courses in transfer of technology knowledge
‘They will exchange experience with OsloMet to make the course more dynamic. This can be a win-win situation for both of us.’
OsloMet and other Norwegian universities already have a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
‘We have, for example, the SimulaMet Garage which works on innovation and the start-up of technology companies, which will find this useful, and research that has culminated in new products, like IncludeOS.’
Initially, Anis Yazidi, Professor Pedro Lind and Associate Professor Hårek Haugerud at OsloMet will be involved in the project, all from the Department of Computer Science and the AI lab.
A PhD student from SimulaMet is also working on the project part-time, Daniel Thilo Schroeder, and a research assistant, Christian Ruben Alexander Jahren.
Best practice in Norway and the Czech Republic
‘We are now preparing a report on "best practice" in Norway and the Czech Republic.’
‘The second phase of the project will be to develop course material. Next year, there may be a summer course in the Czech Republic, where we will share knowledge about our research, mostly in the field of information technology,’ says Anis Yazidi, who adds that a conference about the project will also be held.
Logo for the EEA and Norway grants
Photo at the top of the page is by University of Hradec Králové.
