UNCHAIN UNiversity CHAir on INnovation

1. UNCHAINUNiversity CHAir on INnovation Hans Schnitzer Grant holder Institute for Process Engineering Graz University of Technology Hans.schnitzer@tugraz.at

2. Where we started • In the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region universities have very little cooperation with businesses • Business in the MENA region seeks for a solution of their problems in Europe and America and do not contact the research institutions in their own countries • The European partners (Graz University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano, Delft University of Technology) have a good reputation and experience in academia-business cooperation

3. Delft University of Technology UNIDO Politecnico di Milano Graz University of Technology Aleppo University Saint Joseph University Sekem . Cairo University External Expert University Hassan II University of Sfax

5. UNCHAIN Team Graz University of Technology (Asutria) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Austria) Cairo University (Egypt) Sekem Development Foundation (Egypt) Politecnico di Milano (Italy) Saint Joseph University(Lebanon) UniversityHassan II (Morocco) Aleppo University (Syria) Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands ) Sfax University (Tunisia) Funded by: TEMPUS program

6. Overall objective • To bridge the gap between needs of industry and supply from universities and associate training institutions through building up human resources and technology transfer by establishing a “University Chair on Innovation” • To increase the success rate of innovations in industrial enterprises. • To establish capacity to update (national) innovation policies and furthermore to increase awareness of the importance of innovation for sustainability.

7. Goals • Establish University Chairs on Innovation in the MENA Region • Develop a Technology Transfer Policy and train the Chair operators • Initiate a Re-skilling program on innovation • Develop a EU-MENA twinning MSc thesis program • Develop an EU-MENA Virtual Environment and Strategy for University-Industry Cooperation in Innovation

8. Objective 1MENA University Chairs on Innovation Achievements: • Chairs are established as own institutions within MENA universities’ frameworks • Chair holders carried out first activities • Internal and external activities (e.g. internal and public websites, PR strategies), Trainings about innovation for academics and industries, Contacts to business/industry • Chair holders work on sustainability

9. Objective 2 Technology Transfer Policy Achievements: • A MENA Technology Transfer Policy was developed • MENA-EU Technology Transfer Policy Workshops were carried out • The Chairs and their team are trained in: transfer technologies, writing contracts, IPR agreements, patents • First university-industry collaboration projects and spin-off companies were established

10. Objective 3Re-skilling Program on Innovation Achievements: • Creating competences: Training courses for the operators of the MENA Chairs • Technology Transfer and Valorisation (Delft) • Innovation and PR (Graz) • Technology Transfer Policy and IPR (Milano) • Building capacity: Training of Trainers courses for Chairs and their support team • Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Delft) • Product and Process Innovation with Renewable Energies (Graz) • South-south organised Training on Training skills (by Egyptian trainers)

11. Objective 4EU-MENA Twinning MSc Thesis ICT: Egypt mHealth system Twinning partners: Cairo University, Egypt Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Industry request: developing a mobile information system to aid the national healthcare strategy formulation and support prevention and control of non-communicable diseases through collection of vital statistics

12. Objective 4EU-MENA Twinning MSc Thesis Renewable Energy:Engineering and management of renewable energy driven boats Twinning partners: Sfax University, Tunisia Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Industry request: replace the fossil fuel engine of boats of the “Saniboats” company with electrical engines using solar panels, batteries and/or fuel cells.

13. Objective 4EU-MENA Twinning MSc Thesis Biotechnology: Hypericum perforatum Twinning partners: Heliopolis Academy, SEKEM, Egypt TUGraz/Joanneum Research, Austria Industry request: providing a stable and standardized extract, as well as producinga new pharmaceutical product which could be with higher bioavailability, pharmacological effect and convenient

14. Objective 4EU-MENA Twinning MSc Thesis Foodindustry: Optimisation of phenolic compounds extraction from grape pomace using Accelerated Solvent Extraction Twinning partners: Saint-Joseph University, LebanonTUGraz/Joanneum Research, Austria Industry request: Antioxidant phenolic compounds to be used in cosmetics , pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals to enhance health properties and attractive red

15. Objective 4EU-MENA Twinning MSc Thesis Program Achievements: • 15 twinning programs finished or in progress • Fields covered: • Chemistry, Biochemistry, Energy, Waste treatment, IT, Materials (concrete, steel,…)

16. Objective 5EU-MENA Virtual Environment Achievements: • Enhancement of IT infrastructure: all MENA universities are equipped with a computer laboratory and necessary IT infrastructure • A Virtual Environment was developed (wiki, mailing list, forum, live session, etc.) • Trainings workshop on e-collaboration (Milano)

17. Objective 6Strategy for University-Industry Cooperation in Innovation Achievements: • Documentation of the EU and MENA experiences in a brochure: UNCHAIN STRATEGY for boosting the cooperation of business with MENA universities • Regular EU MENA experts meetings & final workshop

18. Sustainability and future steps of UNCHAIN • Chairs on Innovation are sustainable established in the university frameworks and will be able to continue their duties also after the project end • South-south cooperation is established • North-south co-operations between MENA and European Universities established • Several follow-up TEMPUS projects are prepared for the next call; coordinators will come from MENA countries and Europe • Cooperation within FP7 is envisaged • UNIDO is preparing an extension of the project based on the „UNCHAIN Strategy Paper“ elaborated

19. Material for dissemination and continuation