EIT ICT Labs Doctoral Training Centres are local business and innovation hotspots for doctoral students enrolled in EIT ICT Labs Doctoral School. Here the doctoral candidates can choose to further commit to their local business and innovation community, as well as further develop their own entrepreneurial skills. In addition to enrolling in the general EIT ICT Labs Doctoral School, doctoral students can choose to apply to local Doctoral Training Centres (DTC).
Every DTC is hosted by a university or higher education institutional partner of EIT ICT Labs, and each of them will accept approximately 20 doctoral students, who become part of a local organization with strong industrial influence. ”The DTC share the same physical location as the Co-Location centre, and also have the same thematic focus as their academic node. This will enable each university to play a clearer role within the thematic action lines of the EIT, as well as to provide local support, and a strong industrial network, for the entrepreneurial driven doctoral students,” says Gunnar Landgren, Node Director Stockholm, EIT ICT Labs.
Strengthen local innovation communitiesThe detailed requirements for a doctoral student who wants to get accepted into a DTC are drawn up by the local management committee, but one requirement is that their work is in line with the technical theme of the DTC. ”The Doctoral Training Centres can strengthen the local research and development communities, through their cross-disciplinary and cross-organizational platform, that aligns with the thematic innovation areas of EIT ICT Labs.” “The stimulating and open innovation community at each DTC will give the associated doctoral students many ways to interact with each other, as well as with the industry.
The centres can help in closing the gap between research and industry.” Committed industry partnersThe DTC ensures that a business partner participates in the mentoring of each doctoral student. At the least three different companies, typically EIT ICT Labs partners, are committed to each DTC and provide support and project cases for the candidates involved. Furthermore, the DTC contributes to and facilitates the implementation of the innovation and entrepreneurship education required by the EIT ICT Labs Doctoral School and works proactively to promote cross-node mobility. “Already DTCs are up and running in Helsinki, Rennes, Budapest and Trento. Later this spring we will start up centres in Paris and in Stockholm.” says Gunnar Landgren.
True hotspots for collaborationSurrounding each DTC there will be activities to support the innovative and entrepreneurial community, some of them open to other doctoral students and academic advisors. This will contribute in creating a true hotspot for vibrant ideas and strong collaboration between industry, academia and society. ”Organizationally, the Doctoral Training Centres can lead the way forward in creating cutting edge educational environments for future European ICT-experts that excel in business innovation.”
