PROMETHEUS project is an initiative of Universities, Research Centres and Enterprises from Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, Romania and North Macedonia, with a vision to develop and share their innovation and entrepreneurship support capabilities in the area of digital transformation related to circular economy, climate change and sustainable development.
The main scope of PROMETHEUS project relates to fostering institutional engagement and change to develop innovative and sustainable services and programs to impact ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Circular Economy’, along the following axes and objectives:
- AXIS 1 – Impact-driven partnerships between higher education institutions (HEIs), research organizations, business, NGOs and government institutions
- AXIS 2 – High-quality education programs in the field of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Circular Economy
- AXIS 3 – Innovation and business support services in the field of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Circular Economy
More specifically, the project aims to reach the following targets:
- enhance the services provided to students and faculty to assist them in entrepreneurship and innovation activities;
- develop multi-disciplinary facilities and structures to foster innovation;
- collaborate with EIT Digital and EIT InnoEnergy, as well as with EIT Climate-KIC and EIT Manufacturing;
- create structures and conditions for innovation-driven research in the collaborating HEIs;
- develop and use idea creation and assessment structures in the areas of digital transformation and circular economy;
- enhance the innovation and entrepreneurial teaching curricula using both formal and informal education;
- develop innovation and entrepreneurial training programmes and mentoring schemes for staff and students.
With a total duration of two years and overall funding of €1.2 million, PROMETHEUS will ensure uptake and sustainability through:
- engaging associated partners from different countries and sectors, filling all the roles of the entrepreneurial education value chain;
- establishing a worldwide network of collaborating universities, businesses, research organisations, governmental bodies, non government organisations, and other social partners;
- disseminating information via digital channels and targeted campaigns;
- monitoring and evaluating project performance, and developing further sustainability and transferability plans;
- engaging students at the participating universities in all project phases.
WP1 : Student and Staff Engagement and Supportive Infrastructures (Leader: Sapienza University of Rome)
The work package aims at developing and applying the necessary structures for supporting student and staff entrepreneurial endeavors in the participating HEI’s.
WP2: Knowledge exchange activities and Internationalisation (Leader: University of Twente)
The work package aims at enhancing and strengthening the collaboration networks of participating HEI’s, with a clear international orientation, performing exchange of knowledge from the more progressed towards the developing HEI’s and establishing a collaboration with the relevant EIT KIC’s (Digital, Energy, Μanufatiring and Climate), towards formulating and supporting relevant innovative ideas for digital transformation and the circular economy.
WP3: Preparing and Supporting Entrepreneurs (Leader: University of the Aegean)
This WP aims at creating and applying the PROMETHEUS Entrepreneurship Acceleration Platform that will provide support to potential entrepreneurs from HEI’s students and staff, while also organising specific activities to develop and nurture business ideas in the area of Digital Transformation and Circular Economy.
WP4: Entrepreneurial Teaching and Learning (Leader: University of Patras)
This work package aims at creating entrepreneurship teaching curricula for pre- and post-graduate levels, as well as training modules that will constitute a Massive, On-line, Open Course (MOOC), to be developed on the MOODLE platform. Both the curricula and the MOOC modules will target Digital Transformation and Circular Economy subjects. The educational material will be created utilising experiences and expertise of the participating HEI’s, research centres and industries. Furthermore, non-standard forms of education will be tested, such as industrial lectures and mentoring sessions, practice-based learning for students or professional doctorates for industry executives.
WP5: Dissemination and Transferability (Leader: Crowdpolicy)
This WP aims at the ongoing dissemination of the project results and the development of the project Transferability Plan. It includes the planning and reporting of dissemination activities, the design of the communication materials (brochures, logo, visual identity), the setup of the project website and social media, the organization and participation in events focused on creating awareness, and the development of relevant publications that will enlarge the project audience. The approach follows the overall methodology of the project as presented in the proposal part 1 – Excellence.
WP6: Evaluation and Recommendations (Leader: University of Twente)
This work package aims to develop and apply a methodological framework for the evaluation of project activities, delivering useful recommendations within the project duration. This WP is initiated at the Phase 2 of the project. In case the project is not continued in Phase 2, the evaluation will be concluded and included in the Interim Report at the end of Phase 1.
WP7: Project Management (Leader: University of the Aegean)
The objective of WP7 is to coordinate the use of the project resources, monitor the overall performance of the project, ensure all outputs are delivered in time and on budget, ensure that quality criteria for all outputs are met, manage risks and other extraordinary issues, guarantee that all data management issues are properly considered and respond to and support all the project partners.
WP1 | PROMETHEUS Knowledge Base and Support Processes This deliverable will describe the current status of the knowledge base, the tools and the support offices structures as well as the actions to be taken that will enhance the knowledge bases and the processes of the already existing physical offices, and helpdesks of the consortium’s HEIs. According to each Phase, the reactive deliverable will report on the prototype of the Knowledge Base (Ph1) or the full application to the HEI’s (Ph2). PROMETHEUS Intelligent Assistant Prototype This report will detail the design of the PROMETHEUS Intelligent Assistant Prototype Digital Platform and overall system architecture including the user interface and technical specifications providing a prototype and a detailed implementation plan (Ph1), when in Ph2 will include the complete platform and the application report to all HEI’s. |
WP2 | Network establishment, Action Plan and Implementation Report The deliverable will describe the consortium’s activities for establishing synergies with external organizations and the resulting data and knowledge bases. EIT KIC Joint Activities Planning and Report This deliverable will describe the joint collaboration actions that will be taken among the PROMETHEUS project and EIT KIC’s (Digital, Energy, Climate and Manufacturing). |
WP3 | PROMETHEUS Entrepreneurship Acceleration Platform The deliverable includes the design and development of the central project platform for supporting entrepreneurs, as described in Task 3.1. It also includes the planning and implementation reporting of relevant students and staff support activities. Conceptualisation and Acceleration Planning and Report Plan and report on the industry and research-led activities for idea creation, acceleration and support, through concepts, ideas, models and startup ecosystem organisations and individuals. |
WP4 | Innovation and entrepreneurship curricula and material This deliverable will present the structure and the descriptions of the modules, as well as the planned material, realised in collaboration among the HEIs (Ph1 & 2) with the participation of the industrial and research partners (Ph 2). Innovation and entrepreneurship MOOC The innovation and entrepreneurship training modules on Digital Transformation and Circular Economy within the PROMETHEUS MOOC, to be offered to graduate / postgraduate students and professionals within the duration of the project. The MOOC is planned to have 7 training modules, covering issues of innovation and entrepreneurship in Digital Transformation, Smart Manufacturing, Environment, Bio-Economy, Climate Change and Circular Economy. At the end of the project, the MOOC will be openly available to all project partners, associated partners and individuals. |
WP5 | PROMETHEUS Website and Social Media This deliverable is composed of the project website (which includes all relevant material like project information, news, events, relevant projects, key experts, public deliverables, etc) as well as the project social media (Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook accounts), the web site analytics tools set up and the digital material stated in Task 5.1. Completed: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube PROMETHEUS Dissemination Plan and Implementation Report The dissemination plan and the report of performed activities towards all relevant external groups of the project. The deliverable will contain all planned dissemination and communication activities, material and tools, as well as the dissemination guidelines for the whole consortium. |
WP6 | PROMETHEUS Evaluation Framework The framework for evaluating the overall project, containing the quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, as well as the necessary Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) for individual activities and the overall project (ph1). Project Evaluation Report and Recommendations The overall project evaluation report, following the methodological framework of D6.1, reporting on the achievements and shortcomings of the project. In case the project is not continued in Phase 2, the evaluation will be concluded and included in the Interim Report at the end of Phase 1. |
WP7 | Project Planning and Quality Management Handbook This deliverable summarises the results of the project visioning process. It constitutes a continuously updated guide for partners outlining all activities and responsibilities for delivering the project, with quality plan, risk management procedures, risk logs and list of peer reviewers for all deliverables. Interim Report This deliverable is the consolidated project report on progress and use of resources (interim review period). The Interim Report describes the results obtained and the means which are implemented for the execution of the contract including possible difficulties encountered and how they will be tackled in the remaining project duration. Final Report This deliverable includes the final consolidated project report on progress and use of resources (final review period). |
ABOUT THE EIT’S HEI INITIATIVE
The EIT’s HEI Initiative is a key objective for the EIT as part of its new strategy, the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021−2027. The initiative aims to support higher education institutions with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans complementing the needs of individual higher education institutions. As part of its Pilot Phase, the initiative has provided funding to 23 projects, with the next call for proposals expected towards the end of 2021.
ABOUT THE EIT
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, among leading companies, research labs and universities.
Project Coordinator: Prof. Yannis Charalabidis
Project Manager: Zoi Lachana
Dissemination Manager: Panagiotis Kinanlis
panagiotis [at] crowdpolicy.com | 
General: hei.prometheus [at] gmail.com
Learn more about PROMETHEUS, through the following presentation: