ECQA Certified Valorisation Manager

Description:

Many European and other projects seem to be missing a good valorisation strategy. Projects seem to be carried out in isolation, and finish without essential impact. In addition there is a lack of skills for carrying out valorisation actions.

• Do you want to learn HOW TO ADD VALUE TO INNOVATION?
• Do you want to learn concepts that aim to develop expertise in valorisation (dissemination, sustainability and exploitation)?
• Do you want to be able to create a valorisation strategy?
• Do you want to know how to measure quality and effectiveness of valorisation activities and to assess the impact of results?
• Do you want to learn about promotion and dissemination of project results by using innovative web-based electronic means, including digital media (internet marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing)?

The Valorisation Expert training delivers such best practices required to analyse, define and implement potential valorisation strategies. This includes topics such as

• understanding the importance concerning valorisation of innovation and EU project results,
• dissemination (broad and deep dissemination),
• exploitation (sustainability, value creation and mainstreaming) and
• valorisation methods (diffusion, communication to potential stakeholders,
• formal and informal valorisation channels,
• valorisation tools (cluster building, open innovation etc.) as well as
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

After the course you can attend a test and become an ECQA Certified Valorisation Expert. Although it is possible to directly do the test for the valorisation expert it is highly recommended to attend the training course because special know how is required

Browse through the content/skill card of the  ECQA Valorisation Expert

Target Group:

Company Managers All kind of projects (innovation, research and lifelong learning projects) need to create an impact (after the funding period).

Innovation Managers The course offers a step by step method to establish a valorisation strategy  for maximising achievements and increasing sustainability of innovation and project results.

Technology Transfer Managers The course illustrates which roles new technologies and infrastructure play in launching innovation to market.

Quality Managers The course illustrates which role quality assurance and the tracking of valorisation metrics play in optimising the value of a project and on boosting its impact.

Qualification and Certification:

European Qualification Framework

The certification and the training system comply with guidelines for European Qualification Framework, aimed to assure that trainings offered all over Europe are comparable in relation to content and outcomes.

Accreditation of exam organizations, training organizations and trainers assure that the same level of service quality is assured all over Europe.

The ECQA certified Valorisation Manager is one of the thirty job roles, for which the certification and training schema is running all over Europe. The ECQA is a non-profit association and provides an examination and certification system, meanwhile other authorised bodies provide training services.

Certification as Proof of Knowledge

Training plan

Summary

The training will be based on assignments, active elaborations by the course participants, and discussions. All course participants will create a valorization strategy for their firm (= outcome of the course). Specifically the following exercises will be emphasised:

• Concepts that aim to develop expertise in valorisation (dissemination, sustainability and exploitation) including best practices required to analyse, define and implement potential valorisation strategies.
• Quality and effectiveness measures of valorisation activities.
• Promotion and dissemination of project results by using innovative web-based electronic means
• Valorisation methods (diffusion, communication to potential stakeholders, formal and informal valorisation channels, valorization tools (cluster building, open innovation, digital media (e-marketing, m-marketing and social media marketing))
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The Training Comprises 4 Units
The Certified Innovation Manager certification requires knowledge in four fields:

• Understanding the importance concerning valorisation of innovation and EU project results (Introduction to valorisation (terms such as: broad and deep dissemination -exploitation: sustainability, value creation and mainstreaming) and the concept of Innovation
• Dissemination (Broad Dissemination, Deep Dissemination and Dissemination Strategy)
• Exploitation (Creating Stakeholder Value, Sustainability, Mainstreaming and Exploitation Strategy)
• Valorisation Methods (Diffusion, Communication to potential stakeholders, Valorisation channels - formal and informal valorization, Exploitation Strategy, Valorisation tools (cluster building, open innovation etc.) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Tips for Exam

To be accredited as an ECQA Valorisation Expert ALL elements need to be passed. The multiple choice exam will be online on the ECQA Skill & Exam System. The exam is modular, which means that if a participant passes a certain element that element is recognised as “successfully passed element” on the long term. On the certificate all elements, which the participant passed, are listed. For examination of missing elements participant may apply to a new exam, independently of previous exams.

• Each element includes 10 random generated multiple choice questions.
• To pass the element at least 66% has to be reached. The exam takes 90 minutes and approximately 60 questions have to be answered.
• Those participants which have passed will be allowed to register in the ECQA online community to be listed as ECQA Certified Valorisation Managers (if they will approve the publishing). The certificate will be issued by the European Certification and Qualification Association (ECQA).
• Please tick in the system the proper answers. Be aware that more than one answer can be correct.
• Questions during the exam are not permitted and cannot be answered.
• You can close the test before the exam ends. You could even re-open and continue the test (without data loss) during the exam. After the exam is closed the test cannot be opened any more, results are visible.
• After closing the test, the attendee leaves the room.
• Photo identification (identity card, passport, driving license) must be presented for identification.
• The exam results are immediately visibly after the examiner closed the test in general.
• The certificate will be sent by post within 6 weeks of receipt of payment.

Costs of Exam

Exam after the course
The examination subsequent to a training by an accredited training provider will be free of cost for the attendee in the trial phase of the EU project. The cost of the external certifier ECQA will be covered by the EU project with no cost for attendees.

Registration

Course Registrations

Online System
You can register in the online learning system for self assessment and to attend the courses from here.

Bibliography:

1.     Siakas, Κ., Messnarz, Ρ., Georgiadou, Ε, Naaranoja, Μ. (2012). Launching Innovation in the Market Requires Competences in Dissemination and Exploitation, in Dietmar Winkler, Rory V. O'Connor, Richard Messnarz (eds), Systems, Software and Services Process Improvement, Communications in Computer and Information Science, Springer Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Selected Key-note, pp. 241-252

2.     Siakas, K., Georgiadou, E. (2012). Quality Process Model: Towards Maximising the Quality of Social Impact through Valorisation, in Proceeding of the 15th Software Quality Management Conference (SQM 2012), August, Tampere, Finland, The British Computer Society

3.     DiVA Consortium (Handbook for Dissemination, Exploitation and Sustainabilityof Educational Projects, ISBN: 3-902103-28-0)

EuroSPI 2012 Presentations:

Siakas, Κ., Messnarz, Ρ., Georgiadou, Ε, Naaranoja: Launching Innovation in the Market Requires Competences in Dissemination and Exploitation

ECQA Days 2012 Presentations:

Siakas K., European Innovation meets Dissemination Management Skills (ECQA certified Valorisation Expert, VALO). ECQA Conference, Session: Communication Skills

Sheriff, M., Georgiadou, E., Abeysinghe, G., Siakas K. (2012). Sustaining value in innovation through effective communication. ECQA Conference, Session: Communication Skills

Contact Points for Valorisation Expert Education / Job Role Committee Members:

ATEI of Thessaloniki, Greece

Kerstin Siakas, siaka(at)it.teithe.org, http://valo.it.teithe.gr/

FH Joanneum GmbH, Austria

Rupert Beinhauer,  rupert.beinhauer(at)fh-joanneum.at

Uníversìty of Vaasa,Finland

Marja Naaranoja,  marja.naaranoja(at)uwasa.fi

Middlesex University, United Kingdom

Geetha Abeysinghe,  g.abeysinghe(at)mdx.ac.uk

International Software Consulting Network (ISCN) Ltd

Richard Messnarz, rmess(at)iscn.com

Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greece

Antonis Bouboulas, antonisb(at)ebeth.gr

IEK Thermi, Greece

Nikolaos Katsonis,  Grammateia(at)iek-therm.thess.sch.gr