The Project Office
In the project office, a core team of three fulfils the main
functions. When required, the team has access to other experts from a
great variety of fields. Thus, the project office assigns technical
advisors to serve as direct contacts to each participating network.
Furthermore, the project office is the place where fundamental
innovation- and cluster-specific questions are discussed and themes
relevant to networking developed.
Main Activities
On the first of May, 2007, the Federal Ministry of Economy and
Technology entrusted VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik in Berlin with the
administration of the project office. The project office has two main
goals: to represent Germany as a centre of innovation on a national and
international level, and to support the participating networks in their
activities and further development.
Two areas of activity result from these aims:
- External impact / outwardly oriented channels of action The project office concentrates the information about the best-performing competence networks in Germany, about the topics and the most innovative regions. Then it presents them to the public in the most effective way possible. The project office staff is also concerned with international networking activities, such as initiating cooperation projects with networks from other countries.
- Internal impact / inwardly oriented channels of action The project
office supports the networks of the Initiative in their advancement
and/or transformation processes. It assists the competence networks
with their horizontal networking activities within a topic and between
the various topics. It provides access to innovative information and
communication infrastructures and gives the networks the opportunity to
reach their target audiences through other platforms such as fairs,
events and publications. Finally, the project office organises
seminars, in which members can exchange experiences, and workshops,
some of which are open to all interested parties regardless of
membership status.
Within these two areas of activity, the project office has developed
various services adjusted to the needs of the member networks. These
services include, for example:
- marketing and public relations: annual reports, online newsletters and annual conferences; publication of network-specific short studies, trend reports and analyses; organisation of theme-centred workshops and joint exhibition stands at fairs
- operation of the Internet platform www.kompetenznetze.de, including the target audience-oriented presentation of relevant content and the possibility for member networks to access and to publish information
- exchange and cooperation initiation with other national and international networks and cluster initiatives
- internationalisation: support of member networks in their international aspirations, including developing strategies, organising trips for delegations, and informing about available instruments for intensifying internationalisation activities
- support offers for network managers: theme-centred workshops for the office managers of involved networks to promote the joint advancement of the networks; on topics such as new funding models, securing sustainability, etc.
In addition to the services described above, the project office, in
close cooperation with the member networks, develops tailor-made offers
for individual networks or topics and implements them together with its
competence networks.
Office Manager:
Dr. Gerd Meier zu Köcker
Phone: +49 30 310078-118
Fax: +49 30 310078-222
URL: http://www.kompetenznetze.de
E-Mail: kompetenznetze@vdivde-it.de
Address:
Project Office of the “Kompetenznetze Deutschland” Initiative
c/o VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
Steinplatz 1
10623 Berlin
Germany
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