THE TEAM OR TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE
The diversity in expertise, knowledge and skills and the long experience in collaborative working is among the definite benefits of our BIO-Save partnership. The responsibilities for the BIO-Save tasks and subtasks are also fairly shared among us and according to the specific capabilities of each partner organisation. [Teamwork] is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.
[Teamwork] is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.
Andrew Carnegie
Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski is the largest university in Bulgaria with 102 degree programmes offered by 16 faculties. It is also the national foremost centre for higher education and research in theoretical and applied areas, working on many initiatives within the global strive for science and education. The education provided by the Sofia University meets the European standards and follows the best practice in the development, management and implementation of scientific achievements. The research covers almost all fields of natural and social sciences, among them biotechnology, agriculture and environmental technologies covering all major domains of modern biotechnology – industrial biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, food and medical biotechnology. Researchers working at the Sofia University are among contractors, coordinators and participants in over 30 national and international research projects funded by the EU programmes, the National Science Fund and private partnerships. Recognised experts in biotechnology and environmental sciences who are members of the teaching and research staff of the Sofia University, are members of research teams working on projects funded within the Horizon 2020, Environment, Natura 2000 and other research and innovation programmes.
Sofia University is the contractor of the BIO-Save initiative and the leader of the Project Management Board (PMB) responsible for the organisation and management of all financial matters and the distribution of tasks and funding. The team is the leader of two work packages: WP2 ‘BIO-Save Management and Administration’ and WP5 ‘BIO-Save Modular Education Programme’. It monitors the project progress in each partner institution to assure the quality of the project outputs within an integrated framework of services and specific pathways for the development and proper implementation of the educational objectives and strategies. Sofia University organises the follow-up phase, dissemination and exploitation activities, popularisation of the BIO-Save objectives and goals, results and products, the networking, training activities and post-project measures.
Intellect Foundation is a non-profit organisation which unifies the efforts of professionals in education and research and development in biotechnology, environment protection, healthcare, and project management. It promotes the collaboration of different training settings in higher and continuous education through the use of Information and Communication technologies (ICT). The team consists of experienced educators and authors of textbooks, experts in quality assurance, curriculum development, new IT based training methods, with experience in introduction of the instruments of the European Qualification Framework and national qualification frameworks. They have dealt with production, application and economic planning in industrial and green biotechnology, esp. in sustainable environment, as well as in design and implementation of microbial fermentation processes for production of bioactive compounds. The Intellect Foundation has active contacts with biotech companies, environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, etc.
The Intellect Foundation organises the BIO-Save local activities and takes care for the progress of the tasks, elaboration of the products, and effective measures for ensuring effective dissemination and post-project life. The Foundation is the leader of WP4 ‘BIO-Save Blended Learning Model’ and is responsible for the development of the BIO-Save b-Learning Guide in Modern Biotechnology for Higher Education Professionals. It is also engaged in the networking, dissemination and post-project life measures.
BULGAP Ltd. works in food and agro-industry to support biotech companies, agricultural producers and producer organisations in establishment and implementation of food safety standards (ISO 22000, FS 22000, IFS, BRC, GLOBAL G.A.P. and Codes for Good Agricultural Practices). It provides strategic solutions for development and implementation of management systems and standards and product certification offering services for accreditation of laboratories and inspection, CE marking, optimisation and redesign of business processes. BULGAP Ltd. has an in-depth experience in coordinating and participating in different initiatives funded by the European Union, including the ERASMUS+ programme (the company is the contractor of Bio-FIT 2015-1-BG01-KA202-014258 project). BULGAP Ltd. performs feasibility assessment on various operational programmes and deals with project documentation and project management. It offers training in international standards (including Good Agricultural Practices) by highly experienced professionals.
BULGAP Ltd. monitors the local progress on the tasks, administrative matters, financial management, elaboration of project products and their piloting. It is the leader of the WP7 ‘BIO-Save Quality Management and Monitoring’ which aims at establishing a system of procedures, criteria and resources for quality management and monitoring of the project progress and integrity. BULGAP Ltd. is involved in the analysis of the feedback and subsequent corrective actions and in the dissemination, exploitation and popularisation measures, networking, organisation of the training activities and post-project measures.
EKO-Znanie GT Ltd. supports initiatives of research and innovation in the field of ecology and development of information products, teaching, mentoring and consulting services on the new approaches in education, methods of knowledge acquisition, transfer and sharing in the ‘new learning age’ to support the much-needed ecological transformation of society, politics, and the economy. The company offers consultation services in all phases of the knowledge management cycle, i.e., knowledge generation, application and sharing, incl. organisation of webinars, knowledge sharing events, content creation, fostering communities and individual consultations with a focus on the ecological, social, and economic needs of present and future generations. The staff members have experience in technology, administration and communication in research, advertising and marketing, integration of the novel forms of knowledge transfer and technologies to create new knowledge-based systems.
EKO-Znanie GT Ltd.enters the BIO-Save initiative with its expertise in managing projects at national and European level. It is responsible for the local management of the project specific activities and organisation of active post-project measures. It is the leader of WP8 ‘BIO-Save b-Learning Piloting/Testing and Feedback’, and an active participant in the dissemination, exploration and popularisation measures, networking, and support to the post-project life.
The University of Thessaly (UTH) was established in 1984, with an administrative and academic centre in Volos. The university has 18 departments and various research centres across the region of Thessaly with departments in Volos, Larissa, Trikala, Karditsa and Lamia. The University of Thessaly offers research and business undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programmes and extra-curricular modules to over 12 000 students. The university is known for its excellence in research in accordance with the international standards. The members of the academic and research staff participate in numerous European research networks and innovative research projects. The Lifelong Learning Center (LLC) at the UTH helps the students to meet the requirements of the labour market and offers basic and individually tailored training and employment services in all the relevant areas.
UTH is the leader of WP9 ‘BIO-Save Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy’ and is responsible for the development and follow-up of the dissemination strategy among partners. It coordinates the local dissemination measures, participates in scientific events, and is responsible for the communication with the associated partners in Greece. The UTH has a plethora of initiatives to gain knowledge about the people’s daily lives, so it can assist self-directed learners that are independent and confident and willing to give back to society through leadership or civic duties. In working on the BIO-Save initiative, the UTH aims at gaining and sharing novel knowledge and changing paradigms to aid society in meeting the new challenges as they come along.
Biognosis is a not-for-profit organisation working in public health protection and management of natural resources and the environment. It is an active participant in initiatives in education and VET training through introducing new learning and teaching methods and approaches, with a focus on the up-scaling of the quality of education with novel forms of learning, open learning resources, flexible learning systems and better exploitation of the ICT. Biognosis has extensive experience in national and international programmes (Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus+, Horizon 2020) which offer integrated solutions to an increasingly demanding environment. Biognosis provides a comprehensive service for developing and embedding flexible modes of teaching and learning and innovative best practices and multidisciplinary thinking.
Biognosis offers the BIO-Save partnership expertise in environmental protection and development of open research and educational resources. It is the leader of WP6 ‘BIO-Save Career Guidance’, and together with Sofia University and Gazi University it is responsible for the organisation of workshops and meetings with project targets and preparation of dissemination materials. It coordinates the dissemination and is responsible for the communication with the associated partners in Greece. It assists in transferring the project’s technological results and research innovations to both public and private research centers within the valorisation activities and pilot testing at regional, national and international level.
Since 1088, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (UNIBO) has been a home for a plethora of students, scientists and artists. Across its five campuses in the Emilia Romagna region and a branch in Buenos Aires, UNIBO offers over 200 degree programmes among its 32 departments to over 81,000 students. 5,000 graduates are enrolled in PhDs and 3rd cycle programmes. The researchers participating in the BIO-Save belong to the large Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL) whose research covers topics spanning from primary and food production, and sustainable plant defence to environment protection. DISTAL has advanced expertise in environmental protection and sustainable strategies for environment preservation and clean-up. DISTAL integrates biotechnological methods with mitigation approaches with a continuous focus on sustainability. UNIBO and DISTAL aim at filling the gaps between the modern biotechnology education and the labour market in the biotech sector, and covering the lack of entrepreneurial and strategic planning skills in modern biotechnology.
DISTAL is the co-leader of WP4 ‘BIO-Save Blended Learning Model’ and coordinates the design and set-up of the BIO-Save Blended Learning System. It is responsible for the dissemination, organisation of events and communication with the associated partners in Italy. The UNIBO also aims at defining the teaching programme by collecting novel integrated strategies for climate change mitigation. It has extensive contacts in the industry which are exploited for designing a practical approach in the integration of academia and industry.
Institute of Information Technology Ltd. (Initut) provides integrated ICT solutions with an additional focus on research within three pillars: consulting, development and integration of specific customised internationalised IT solutions for profit and non-profit organisations and projects; related research in information technologies, education and teaching, e-learning and e-materials, visualisation, simulation and animation, blended learning systems, knowledge management and integration, geographical information systems, combinatorics, waste management, liquid crystals, plagiarism, IT support for VET etc. It provides education and training services to companies and project-oriented organisations and associations in the public and the private sector. The staff members have over 20 years of experience in trends in personal research, occupational related research, and the EU and national projects.
Initut is the leader of the WP3 ‘BIO-Save Cloud-based Web Portal’. Initut relies on its experience in project management, training and business consulting and supporting learning platforms and preparation of learning materials to ensure a functioning cloud-based web portal and learning platform with materials on modern biotechnology and biotech business. Initut is responsible for the organisation and performance of dissemination and scientific events, pilot and training activities, as well as for the dissemination, exploitation and popularisation measures and networking in Slovenia.
Gazi University (GU),with its 21 faculties, 16 vocational colleges, 48 research centres, a state conservatory and 7 institutes, ranks among the best 500 universities of the world, with more than 78,000 students and over 4,000 educational and research staff in many campuses across the region of Ankara. Gazi University is an active participant in FP7 and Erasmus+ programmes and in 180 bilateral international collaboration and dual-degree programmes. The University has a vast experience in LLP LdV with the highest support received among Turkish universities. The participant in the BIO-Save project is the Environmental Sciences Department of the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Sea and Aquatic Sciences Application and Research Centre (DENAM) which conducts research in healthcare, marine and environmental sciences, climate change, ecotoxicology and ecology.
Gazi University is the leader of WP1 ‘BIO-Save Conceptual Design and Commencement’ and is responsible for gathering and summarising data from the background analysis at national level. The Gazi University takes part in the BIO-Save qualification descriptions, and the elaboration of the BIO-Save Competence Catalogue. Gazi University has extensive contacts in biotechnology and other industries to support the canvassing activities of the BIO-Save project and to ensure the effective dissemination of the BIO-Save objectives and outcomes and the post-project life.
PLANART Ltd. has been offering planning and environmental services of planners and environmental experts with experience in research and educational public and private endeavours since 1998. The environmental department is a participant in several projects on natural and cultural resource management and environmental impact. PLANART uses information and communication technologies in environmental projects, and works on software development and application. PLANART provides various services, incl. reports and studies on design, construction and management consultancy.
PLANART supports an active partner network with Turkish and European institutions. It is the co-leader of WP9 ‘BIO-Save Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy’ with the task to support the effective dissemination and exploitation strategy at national and international level. It is responsible for the selection of good practices for dissemination and collection of feedback on the BIO-Save results, organisation of evaluation events and workshops for the exploitation of the project outcomes.