Solution Labs Tunisia (SolLabTUN)

Background

The research project is one of the projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with the aim of strengthening the innovation-relevant framework conditions in the North Africa and Middle East region and thus contributing to local political and economic stability.

There is untapped potential throughout the North African region in terms of transferring the knowledge generated into innovative business models. The concrete starting point of the present research project is Tunisia's research and innovation system, which has well-established research infrastructures and intermediary organizations (e.g., technology transfer offices (TTOs), technopoles, incubators, innovation centers, accelerators), but in which the knowledge generated is not fully exploited for commercializable innovations. In this context, the project starts at the interface between science, higher education and business and aims to promote the emergence of innovative, market-driven solutions as well as the networking of different innovation-related groups of actors. This is addressed by a specific exchange format in which new contacts, networks as well as new knowledge are created. Young talents, particularly students as well as university graduates, and their creative ideas are the main focus.

In the medium to long term, this project seeks to contribute to improved innovation capacities, the creation of employment options, especially for highly qualified individuals, and ultimately to an overall improvement in the standard of living in Tunisia, which is a key element for social stability.

Project description

The core of the project is the development of specific approaches to solving existing problems in the innovation process through the collaboration of different people and organizations in a facilitated creative process. The approach is implemented through multi-day, cross-organizational and intercultural events in which young talents play a central role. In this experimental creative format, known as Solution Labs, university graduates work on innovation-relevant issues from the business world and receive support from scientific experts. The Solution Labs are characterized by real challenges from "solution seekers" from the business world – this is the aspect in which companies are involved. The "solution finders" are young, highly qualified and interdisciplinary teams that work together in a creative and supportive atmosphere to find tangible solutions. The multi-day format, interdisciplinarity and interculturality, as well as the integrated presentation, discussion and feedback loops are designed to enable them to work through different approaches to the point of developing a viable solution.

Range of services

Fraunhofer IMW is responsible for the conception, organization and implementation of the Solution Lab together with the corsortium partners. It contributes its expertise in the field of digital, sustainable and resilient business model development and in innovation support. In addition, in coordination with the National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), the researchers are intensively involved in the recruitment of highly qualified young professionals – depending on the issues to be addressed by the partner companies. Furthermore, the researchers of Fraunhofer IMW are jointly responsible for the continuous reflection of the process and the derivation of meta-results (learning outcomes, challenges, solution approaches) for the next Solution Lab in each case.

Client

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Project partners

• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
• Kehl University
• National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT)

Project duration

June 1, 2021 – May 31, 2024