STEP RI Science and Technology Park was founded by the University of Rijeka to facilitate the interaction between academia and industry and support knowledge-based entrepreneurship. It offers a range of facilities and services to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, University scientists, and students, including business training programs, consulting, and networking services based on the most recent insights into innovation and management practices and methodologies.
Among the good practice examples of STEP RI’s high-impact training programs are intensive business camps sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Zagreb, which have been organized at STEP RI continuously since 2013, with total funding of more than USD 150.000. The main goal of Big Bang Camp is to help scientists and entrepreneurs who work with a certain technology to identify its market potential, and, based on that, create a roadmap to transform the technology into a marketable product or service. The target group consists of potential users of proof-of-concept funds and small companies with technological solutions that have high scaling potential. Big Bang Camp is an intensive 5-day program including lectures, workshops, and mentoring sessions with successful entrepreneurs and investors from Croatia and the USA. On the last day of the program, the teams present their ideas in front of a jury and the best teams have a chance to win interesting prizes and attract investors. Similarly, Summer Business Camp (previously Startup Camp Rijeka) is a five-day training program designed to help develop start-up proposals into viable businesses through workshops and structured mentoring.
Knowledge transfer at the UNIRI Faculty of Engineering: power transformers to reduce noise levels
Furthermore, UNIRI strongly fosters knowledge transfer and its active role in developing the regional innovation ecosystem also within its faculties. In this framework, the Končar D&ST Inc. recently contracted to the Precision Engineering Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering advanced research on the dynamical behavior of power transformers – essential in complying with increasing noise levels limitations. The researchers successfully performed advanced contactless laser measurements, determining via elaborated analyses the areas with the highest vibrations, thus creating the preconditions to systematically work on affecting the resulting vibroacoustic responses. This activity, presented in scientific fora, saw an important contribution of early-stage researchers and students that have complemented their skills with important practical knowledge.
Knowledge transfer at the UNIRI Faculty of Maritime Studies : trainings for seafarers
One of the most important activities that the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Rijeka is doing is the implementation of training programs and delivery of short-training courses for seafarers as a part of lifelong learning. The major client is one of the world’s biggest container shipping company CMA CGM, namely its seafarers that attend different tailor-made training courses using state-of-the-art navigation and engine room simulators. Courses follow demanding maritime education and training requirements imposed by the implementation of a new innovative CMA CGM container ships, the biggest in the world, that satisfy modern strict ecological and technological requirements by using liquified natural gas (LNG) as a fuel.
