Call for proposals - Pilot project for the development of knowledge partnerships

Deadline: 28 June 2012

Within the Europe 2020 Innovation Union flagship initiative, one of the key activities is "Promoting excellence in education and skills development" and it is foreseen that the Commission "will also support business-academia collaborations through the creation of 'Knowledge Alliances' between education and business to develop new curricula addressing innovation skills gaps".

The work carried out in the context of the University-Business Forum has highlighted the importance of this collaboration in addressing the European skills gap and encouraging innovation.

Various studies at regional, national and European level have demonstrated the very real need and desire on all sides for structured partnerships between the higher education sector and the workplace with a view to ensuring that European education systems deliver high-quality and highly valued skills, underpinned at all times by the capacity to adapt, and an entrepreneurial, creative and innovative mindset.

The current call for proposals builds on the success of the pilot project launched in 2011 which provides direct support for the implementation of Knowledge Alliances.

These pilot projects are a first, tangible move towards ever greater trans-European cooperation.

This call and the selected projects will also contribute to the preparations for the implementation of the forthcoming Erasmus for All programme with a view to a much greater scope for Knowledge Alliances partnerships in future.

Official documents