During last week IEC Tehnopolis, in cooperation with Montenegrin Ministry of Economy, realizes training course for innovation brokers, within the “Strengthening and empowering of cross border innovation networks through Fertilization Innovation Labs in Agro-food for improving the connection between research and SMEs” project.

The aim of the training course is developing new professional personality, which becomes more important in context of European policies 2014-2020 and after 2020, especially in measures focused at improving the cooperation between businesses and the knowledge system. In the national and European systems, two new professions that support the technology transfer processes are apearing and improve the research results: an innovation broker and an innovation manager. An innovation broker is a key expert in reliving cooperation between company innovation and research organization. Therefore, this training will help the attendees to adopt new knowledge and become a link between the research structure, business sector and final users, in order to develop new products and services.

With the help of experts, the training participants will learn more about building an innovative network, economically evaluating research results, managing the project cycle, but also about participation access and technical negotiation.

The first day was about European Innovative Partnership (EIP approach), generating the innovation development, building of regional innovation networks, with the special emphasis on the field of technology transfer.

Within the session of economically evaluating research results, the participants found out new ways to apply the research results, protection tools, economically evaluation and patent and intellectual property valorization as strategic remedy.

The training about project cycle management includes next topics: project strategic design (using project cycle management method), technique for mapping of innovation company needs and strategic frame in innovations developing at Montenegro, as well as the reliable financing sources.

The last module will be about animation techniques for innovation actors, negotiation techniques for building of partnership in innovations, communication in order to commercialize innovation, open innovations and preparing business oriented communication plans.

The training for innovation brokers is one the activities regarding FILA project, financed through the INTERREG IPA CBC Italy-Albany-Montenegro. Leading partner is Mediterranean Agronomy Institute in Bari and the other partners are: Apulia Region, Regional Development Agency 3 – Korce, Elbasan, Berat, Albanian Investment Development Agency – AIDA, IEC Tehnopolis and Montenegrin Ministry of Economy.