The labs provide support, business contacts, experience, entrepreneurship training, and premises to all innovators with promising ideas within the DA-SPACE project, Interreg Danube Transnational Programme. DA-SPACE aims to improve entrepreneurial competence of young innovators while fostering the innovation capacities of SMEs in the environment of open innovation laboratories.

Czech Technical University in Prague launched the call for expression of interest to join the CTU OI Lab at the Start-up Festival. The event took place on September 27, 2017 at the University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic, and aimed at young innovators with interesting ideas.

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava launched the call for expression on joining the team solution of challenges within the Open Innovation Lab at the Faculty of Informatics and IT (FIIT) on September 9, 2017. It was targeted above all at the MSc students of the FIIT. The team solutions may also qualify for the FIIT contest of team projects TP Cup in spring 2018.

The City of Ulm and BWCON officially opened the open innovation lab TESTFELD in Ulm Germany in December 2017. Representatives from SMEs, universities and other institutions came to get the first insight in the open innovation lab. As well potential young talents came to get to know the TESTFELD. 

The call for expression of interest for the UNIPU/ISTRIA OI Lab was conducted in the form of a press conference. It took place on the 7th of December at the premises of the lab. The call for expression was also covered by a TV news team, two radio broadcasts and through local written media.

The Open Innovation Lab of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati (Romania) organized the event for the launch and promotion of the call for expression of interest for solvers, on December 12, 2017. The DA-SPACE – UDJG OI Lab event was attended by students interested in solving the challenges identified in the OI Lab.

The University of Novi Sad and VOICT launched the call for expression of interest to join the UNS/VOICT OI Lab at the Start-up Weekend. The event took place from 24 - 26th of November, 2017 at the premises of the Business incubator Novi Sad, and aimed at young innovators and entrepreneurs with interesting ideas and problems for Solvers.

Technical University of Sofia (TU-Sofia) conducted the opening ceremony of the Open Innovation Lab at TU-Sofia, Bulgaria. It took place on December 14, 2017 at 4 p.m. at building number 4 of TU-Sofia. The event was put together especially for the industry partners (Seekers) and the young talents (Solvers) as a means for establishing closer relationships and co-operation.

Following the call for expression of interest of young innovators, the project partners kicked off the operation of the open innovation labs. They offer modern space with cutting-edge equipment and co-creation environment. The young innovators work on their projects under the supervision of mentors, industrial experts and specialists in specific fields.

The results from the pilot phase will serve to define a transnational strategy to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in the Danube region that will be defined in specific regional action plans.

For more information about the local lab activities, please visit the INTERREG DANUBE DA-SPACE webpage.