STEP International Conference

Conference overview

Conference concept

learning, making new and developing existing contacts as well as having a good time, gathering new knowledge and insights, learning new concepts, are highly interlinked aspects of a conference. The STEP Strengthening University-Industry Interaction Conference is focused on bringing these aspects together, resulting in a positive influence on each other and a maximization of the participants' conference experience.

In addition, the various formats of communication, knowledge exchange and discussion have their individual advantages and should thus be integrated to get the most value out of a conference. Therefore, the conference will feature keynote speakers, parallel tracks, workshops, round table discussion, a poster session. The conference will also include a wide variety of social interactions, such as a city tour, welcome reception, a tour of the STEP ILOs  and a conference dinner.

Conference Goals

• Identifying the impact of academia on society from both economic and social perspectives and tools to assess this impact.
• Bringing together stakeholders working on scientific research, innovation and industry in Palestine and in the region to develop a shared vision on collaboration.
• Developing “a common area of dialogue” and strengthening the relationship between universities/research institutions and industry in general and on an individual basis between researchers and professionals in industry/business.
• Highlighting and supporting the existing mechanisms to achieve cooperation between the university and industry such as technology transfer and commercialization offices, technology incubators, and entrepreneurial support centers and others.
• Sharing different experiences, successes and failures (locally, regionally and globally) in this area.
• Discussing the policies, laws and regulations governing industry-academic relationship and potential modifications.
• Engaging the media in highlighting the importance of research and innovation in economic and social development and the value of strengthening university-society relationship.

Key Benefits

• Increase knowledge on how to extract the full value of university-industry interaction, how to foster collaborative innovation in firms and how to create an entrepreneurial university
• Develop skills through the conference’s executive education program
• Meet and network with those facing similar challenges
• Develop partnerships and projects with other conference participants through project development sessions

Call for papers, presentations, workshops, tracks, posters

The STEP-International Conference -Strengthening University-Industry Interaction Conference will be an international meeting and discussion forum for practitioners and researchers on university-industry innovation and entrepreneurial universities, where theory and practice are equally emphasized in the program.

Sub-themes

Sub-themes include, but are not limited to:

1.      Innovation in Practice

 While the technological frontier is advancing at a fast pace and innovations abound across all fields, a large share of the global population remains excluded from this prosperity.  Notwithstanding progress, more than 40 percent of the world population still lives under US$2 per day ( Bottom of the Pyramid- BOP). Such inequality is gradually leading to a rising global need and interest in promoting innovations in products  (goods and services) which address the needs and improve the welfare of the excluded due to poverty, handicap or location.

• Universities & business: their roles in regional innovation
• Tools & methods for Innovation
• The role of entrepreneurs in promoting and sustaining innovation
• Measuring the impact and level of innovation
• Approaches towards creativity & idea generation
• Research & innovation in the framework of international cooperation

 2.      Student & Academic Entrepreneurship / Entrepreneurship Education

The specialization in entrepreneurship allows students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to take a leadership role in small and entrepreneurial business. Students in this specialization will be able to gain a broad knowledge of entrepreneurial business issues built upon entrepreneurially-focused research in the core business disciplines, including accounting, business law, finance, management, and marketing. The program includes both foundational coursework as well as experiential assignments in which the students work with entrepreneurs to solve real business decisions. This specialization will help broaden the students’ perspective beyond corporate management and enhance their employment prospects by increasing their attractiveness to entrepreneurial firms.

• Teaching the entrepreneurs of the future
• Training, coaching and start-up support
• Stimulating entrepreneurial mindsets, attitudes and creativity
• (Joint) Curriculum development for innovation and entrepreneurship

 3.      University-Business Cooperation (UBC)

UBC is the collaboration of university and business with the support of government for mutual and  societal benefit. If UBC is understood as transactions between higher education institutions (HEIs) and business for mutual benefit, fostering UBC and extracting its value can help universities to face the problem of decreasing public funds , help businesses to gain and maintain their competitive advantage in today’s dynamic international markets , contribute to the economic development at regional and national level as well as meet the demands of the labour market to provide more relevant knowledge and skills . In this context, successful UBC creates mutual benefit for all parties involved, and wider, to society.

• Supporting mechanisms (strategies, structures and approaches) towards UBC
• Dynamics of knowledge networks and partnerships
• Incentives for University-Business Cooperation
• Corporate Relationship Officers in UBC
• Measuring the impact of interactions and partnerships

 4.      Knowledge and Technology Transfer

Technology transfer activities allow the leading-edge research and knowledge of the University to get out of the labs and into the commercial sector where it can be further developed and transformed into new treatments, medicines, products, etc. Technology transfer activities can potentially benefit millions of people. It would therefore be unethical for a University, and especially for one that excels in energy and water , not to actively promote and encourage efficient technology and knowledge transfer.

• Start-ups, spin-offs, licensing – bringing knowledge to the market
• Incubators and Science Parks
• Knowledge transfer offices and their management
• Science-to-Business Marketing
• IP rights and (e)valuation

 5.      Case Studies of Collaborative Innovation & Entrepreneurial Universities

Presentations Suggested Titles:

• A Holistic Approach To Support Knowledge Transfer To Maximize Benefits. 
• A model to manage and regulate university-business cooperation
• A Partnership Approach To Work Placement In Higher Education
• A Review Of University-Industry Knowledge Transfer Practices
• A Student-In-The-Middle Approach For Successful University And Business Cooperation In It
• Academia And Industry In Medical Device Innovation
• Academic Entrepreneurship And The Politics Of Policy Implementation
• Activating Researchers For Entrepreneurship: Bridging The Gap Between Research And Transfer To Society
• An Analysis Of University – Industry Cooperation In Palestine
• Assessing The Micro-Incentives Of The Triple Helix
• Building A System Dynamics Model For Understanding The University-Industry Technology Transfer Process And The Implications For Technology Transfer Office Policies
• Career prospects and education diversity
• Co-Creating Business Value Through University-Business Collaborative Projects
• Commercialization Of Governmental R&D Outputs
• Concentrating Solar Power Technology: From Research To Market.
• Developing University-Business Cooperation Towards Strategic Partnerships
• How Universities And The Business World May Benefit From Each Other
• Incubators Vs. Accelerators – Fostering University Spin-Offs By Leveraging Exploration And Execution

Technical programs

Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical technology

Agriculture & Environmental technology

Electronics, Communication and Information technology

Material Science and Metallurgy Track Program

Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building Materials Track Program

Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Track Program

Energy Technologies Track Program