AWT®
Technical Knowledge Accelerator®
The area of activity
The initiative of the Poznań University of Technology, Technical Knowledge Accelerator®, focuses on accelerating the development of competences, including technical knowledge.
Their development makes it possible to follow new technologies, civilization changes and the development of an economy based on innovation and competitiveness. The initiative aims to provide knowledge and solutions in areas related to knowledge and competence management and the development of education methods.
The history
Technical Knowledge Accelerator® is an initiative launched in 2006 by employees of the Faculty of Management Engineering at the Poznań University of Technology. In 2007, more than 30 institutions from Wielkopolska signed a Letter of Intent concerning cooperation in the development of knowledge and technical skills in the society of Wielkopolska, which allowed for the strengthening of the links between the scientific community and the economic environment. In 2010, the first project “Wielkopolska monitoring and forecasting system” was launched, followed by the “Partnership of science and progress” project. In the following years, new projects were launched, such as: “Time for Professionals – Greater Poland Vocational Education”, which in 2014 was awarded by the Minister of Infrastructure and Development as “The best investment in human” in the competition “ESF Good Practices 2014”. In 2015, the non-competitive project “Time of professionals BIS – professional Wielkopolska” was launched under the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Program 2014+ and will be implemented until June 2023. In 2019, the team won a distinction in the competition The Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital Excellence Awards. On February 19, 2021 (Polish Science Day), the AWT® team was awarded the award of the Minister of Education and Science for significant achievements in the field of teaching.
Actions
– facilitating access to knowledge and its dissemination, because technologies must be understandable to everyone, not only to a small group of scientists; every person has the right to know how the solutions provided by science can affect him – what their benefits are, but also what risks are associated with them;
– supporting education systems to provide the necessary skills base to take advantage of the latest and common scientific advances;
– developing methods and tools to support research on the directions of competence development.
Strategic partnership with Local Government of Wielkopolska Provience
A strategic partner in many projects is the Local Government of Wielkopolska Provience. Many concepts developed as part of the AWT® initiative, including by scientists from the Faculty of Management Engineering at the Poznań University of Technology, are implemented and developed as part of projects carried out jointly by the Poznań University of Technology and the Self-government of the Wielkopolska region. The cooperation began in 2008 with the adoption by the Board of the Wielkopolska Region of two Resolutions1,2. The first projects in the partnership were launched in 2010 and since then the project cooperation has continued without interruption. Cooperation with the local government guarantees that the developed solutions are not only of high scientific quality, but also widely implemented and useful for the region’s community.
AWT® projects
As part of the initiative, thematic projects or tasks in projects are implemented, financed from various sources (e.g. Erasmus +, WRPO, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, NCBiR), detailed information on projects can be found in the “Projects”:
- Innovation Incubator 4.0:
tasks: supporting the management of the results of scientific research and development works, mainly in the field of commercialization. The implementation of the program contributes to the promotion of scientific achievements, increasing their impact on the development of innovation and strengthening cooperation between the scientific community and the economic environment. One of the many activities carried out in the project is the Technical Knowledge Acceleration Forum (AWT®) and the development of a model instruction for entrepreneurs on establishing cooperation with the Poznań University of Technology. Poznań University of Technology (Leader) in the Consortium with the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (Partner) is implementing the Innovation Incubator 4.0 project. Its source of financing is the Intelligent Development Operational Program 2014-2020 (Measure 4.4). - Time for Professionals BIS – Professional Wielkopolska:
tasks: rebuilding the vocational education system in Wielkopolska and expanding and strengthening relations between schools and employers through, inter alia, involving employers in the process of advising students on the directions of professional development, better matching of internship offers to students’ skills and competences, using the Professional System, or supporting schools and employers in the process of communication with local labor market institutions. The project was launched as part of the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Program 2014+ and is implemented by the Self-government of the Wielkopolska Region and the Poznań University of Technology.
Project value: PLN 84,700,000.00, including the PUT’s budget: PLN 70,998,375.10 - Time for Professionals BIS – Professional Wielkopolska – apprenticeshipsand internships:
task: subsidy to internship scholarships paid under the project for participation in an apprenticeship or internship. It is a supplement to the activities carried out in the project “Time of BIS professionals – professional Wielkopolska”.
Project value: PLN 4,285,187.10, including the PUT’s budget: PLN 3,811,021.00 - The acceleration method of development of transversal competences in the students’ practical training process:
task: development and implementation of an innovative method supporting the acceleration of the development of students’ transversal competences by improving the use of practical education.
Project implemented under the Erasmus + program in international cooperation with eight institutions from 4 European countries. The project was coordinated by the Poznań University of Technology (Poland), while the partners in the project were both universities: Centria University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), Częstochowa University of Technology (Poland); University of Maribor – Faculty of Economics and Business (Slovenia), Wrocław University of Economics (Poland), as well as institutions directly related to the labor market: the Federation of Education in Jokilaaksot – JEDU (Finland) – educational federation and Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gorzów Wielkopolski (Poland) – Chamber of Commerce.
Project value: EUR 296 902 - Time for Professionals – Wielkopolska Professional Education:
tasks: increasing the attractiveness and quality of vocational education through activities such as:
– organization of apprenticeships and internships for students at employers in Wielkopolska,
– creation, development and dissemination of the Wielkopolska educational and vocational counseling system – Professional System,
– development of innovative modular education programs in six professions at technical level and implementation in 35 schools.
The project was created under Priority IX of the Human Capital Operational Program (Measure 9.2). The leader of the project was the Self-government of the Greater Poland Voivodeship and the partner was the Poznań University of Technology.
Project value: PLN 45,000,000.00, including the PUT’s budget: PLN 23,289,692.74 - Wielkopolska monitoring and forecasting System:
task: adjusting information on the needs of the Wielkopolska labor market to the supply of vocational education programs in the region.
A project that the Poznań University of Technology, together with Partners: Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, the City of Poznań and Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences Unit Ylivieska (Finland), implemented under Priority IX of the Human Capital Operational Program.
Project value: PLN 2,074,070.09, including the PUT’s budget: PLN 1,515,639.38 - Partnership of Science and Progress:
task: Development of qualifications of the R&D system staff and increasing awareness of the role of science in economic development.
Project implemented under the Human Capital Operational Program, Priority IV: Higher education and science (Measure 4.2.). The project leader was the Marshal’s Office of the Wielkopolska Region, the partners were the Poznań University of Technology (the originator of the project) and Telewizja Polska Branch in Poznań.
Project value: PLN 3,813,574.10, including the PUT’s budget: PLN 2,202,930.74 - Integrated System for Supporting the Information Accessibility in the Urban Area:
The project leader was a Project Team formed by research workers of the Faculty of Management Engineering at the Poznań University of Technology. The Project Team cooperated with employees of the Poznań City Hall. The project was financed by the National Center for Research and Development.
Project value: PLN 1,200,000.00
1Resolution No. 1350/08 of the Board of the Wielkopolska Region of May 29, 2008 on expressing the will of the Wielkopolska Region to join the “Technical Knowledge Accelerator” program and accompanying activities as part of the organizational concept of vocational training and their implementation.
2Resolution No. 1979/08 of the Board of the Wielkopolska Province of November 20, 2008 on the adoption of the “Organizational concept of training qualified staff and lifelong learning in Wielkopolska at the level of basic vocational school, technical secondary school, post-secondary school and college, training, training and counseling”, constituting annex to the resolution.