Tknika is a centre promoted by the Deputy Ministry of Vocational Education and Training of the Education Department of the Basque Government.

This section is where you can find why our organisation exists; its Mission and Vision, our Values, the goals we set and our policies.

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission
mision

To make research and applied innovation core fundamental elements of Vocational Education and Training in Euskadi, to make progress in new learning settings and processes, and to reduce the skill gap from when an idea or technology comes about until society can take advantage of it.

By means of watch and competitive intelligence, design, development, implementation and transfer of innovative products and services of high added value to Vocational Education and Training centres, and from thence, to the business sector. Through a dynamic open to collaboration and establishing alliances, fomenting the creation of networks, teamwork, creativity and sustainability.

Vision
vision

To be THE European point of reference in applying advanced practices to transfer knowledge to the business network though vocational training centres.

Values
valores
  1. Membership

  2. Initiative

  3. Agility

  4. Impeccability

  5. Generosity

We are from VET (TKNIKA), we have initiative, we respond with agility, we do it well and we make it available to those who need it.

Reliability, anticipation, collaboration.

Policies

Innovation policy

The Basque Centre of Research and Applied Innovation in Vocational Education and Training, Tknika, is a technical body responsible for research and applied innovation, and the transfer of the results of R&D&I projects to all centres providing vocational education and training in the Basque Autonomous Community.

The purposes of the Basque Country’s Vocational Education and Training Applied Innovation and Research Centre, Tknika, are the following:

To research vocational training and applied innovation, encouraging centres that provide vocational training to enter into relationships with companies, technological centres and different university and non-university research departments.

To train professors at centres who provide vocational training on different technologies that arise in different production sectors.

To make progress in new settings that improve different learning processes, driving internationalisation of vocational training and permanently improving vocational training.

To promote entrepreneurial activity with students, through the centres providing vocational training.

To fulfil its role, Tknika will have a management team consisting of a Director and department managers, and will be structured around the following scopes of action:

  1. Technological innovation and intelligent systems

  2. Complexity management.

  3. Learning and high performance.

  4. Applied innovation in strategic settings.

  5. Internationalisation.

  6. Biosciences and Sustainability.

As a reference for its management system, Tknika takes standard UNE166002 on R+D+i Management, and commits to fulfil the requirements stipulated in this standard.

Tknika undertakes to permanent improve its R+D+i management system.

Continuous Improvement policy
TKNIKA, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE APPLIED TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING, has defined quality as a fundamental part of its policy and strategy, and has adopted quality-based management systems as reference models for management and organisation. The main points of reference are the management model EFQM-HOBBIDE and the quality assurance system based on Standard UNE-EN ISO 9.001:2015.

More specifically, TKNIKA has adopted quality as an action philosophy identified in our Mission, Vision and Values.

These Principles are rolled out through the following processes and projects:

Implementation and development of an EFQM-HOBBIDE management model.
Implementation and development of a quality system according to Standard UNE-EN ISO 9.001:2015.
Implementation and development of an innovation management system according to Standard UNE 166002:20014.
Implementation and development of an integrated quality and Innovation system according to Standards UNE-EN ISO 9.001:2015 UNE 166002:20014.
Implementation and development of an Innovation Strategy and Policy.
Implementation of a Permanent Improvement policy.
Review of the quality system and periodical process updating.
Internal and external management system audits.
Tknika declares its commitment to fulfil the requirements stipulated by the two reference standards.
Tknika also declares its commitment as an organisation to permanently improve the management system.
Tknika commits to fulfil legal requirements and applicable regulations, as well as other requirements voluntarily undertaken.

Moreover, this Policy is rolled out through the annual plans by formulating and meeting objectives. Tknika’s objectives are quantifiable and can be measured with indicators. All of them are quality objectives whose degree of compliance shall be periodically assessed.

The commitment to quality affects the entire organisation. Everyone at Tknika accepts this commitment and their responsibility in meeting the established requirements, and agrees to actively participate in improving quality.

Tknika ensures that everyone at the organisation meets the skill profiles required and that they are competent to carry out their roles. Tknika plans and carries out actions to update and improve skill levels for all its people.

Client orientation is a basic principle assumed by all people at Tknika and in all of the organisation’s activity. This all takes shape in the planning, development and offering of projects and services with high added value for interested parties.

Tknika’s Management provides the resources and means necessary to reach the objectives and results established.

People policy
For TKNIKA, the critical factor to successfully fulfil its Mission is the people who make up the organisation. They are the ones who give added value during the project development process and with the services provided.

The hiring process begins by defining the skill profiles needed for each role/position/project/service. The intent is to find the most appropriate and competent people for the position. After this, the most competent candidate is hired. This selection and “hiring” process takes place under the utmost guarantee of equal opportunity and the objective scoring of merits shown. The “contracts” (service commissions) tend to be subject to the project/service life cycle, and may be renewed according to the organisation’s needs.

This renewal is subject to meeting individual objectives (specified in specific roles and tasks) allotted to each individual at the beginning of each course, aligning said individual objectives with the organisation’s objectives and strategies. The evaluation is the result of the assessment of the effort made.

TKNIKA establishes its internal training plans, whose objective is the skill and professional development of the people at the organisation. It seeks to develop the skills that Tknika needs both today and in the future, based on criteria of anticipation, flexibility and polyvalence.

TKNIKA’s management acknowledges the effort the people at Tknika make and the results they obtain, both as a team and individually. In any event, it declares its support for its people in carrying out their activities, maintaining a personal relationship based on total trust of the individual.

Language policy
Tknika commits to fulfilling laws in force regarding the use and development of the two official languages (Basque and Spanish).

Insofar as possible, Tknika will attempt to adapt to the requirements and language demands of its interest groups.

To this end, both internal and external communication (messages, presentations, calls, magazines, website, etc.) will be in Basque and Spanish.

According to available resources, this focus will also be applied to didactic materials generated in the projects performed and the services provided by Tknika.

When the situation requires it, English will be the third language used. Other languages (French, German, etc.) will be used according to the characteristics and needs of the recipient of the message.

Insofar as possible, Tknika will facilitate improving its people’s language skills with these languages.

Intellectual Property policy
TKNIKA identifies the intangible assets and knowledge gained in carrying out its activity. It systematically updates the inventory on these intangible assets. In this process of creating intangible assets and knowledge, the following sources are mainly used:
Incorporation through contract. This is conditioned by aspects such as: TKNIKA’s needs (not covered internally) and objectives, new market and client requirements, TKNIKA’s starting technological position, etc.
Collecting knowledge of public domain. Systematically collecting and increasing the value of information from the public domain. Objectives: to detect changes, trends and opportunities to improve competitiveness, to minimise risks of Tknika’s own activity, to feed the generation of ideas and to accelerate launching R+D+i projects. Monitoring (technological, methodological, management…) is a fundamental tool.
Generating Tknika’s own knowledge. A framework is generated to carry out the innovation projects developed at Tknika in collaboration with its Interest Groups (especially VT Centres).
Collecting knowledge incorporated in capital goods. The key is focused on skill qualification of the people interacting with this knowledge.

For each case, TKNIKA identifies the assets to be transferred, licensed, exchanged or delivered for use and how this will be done.

As a general rule, results are transferred and used openly, making them available to all interested parties, especially VT centres and their teachers. The intangible assets, knowledge and materials generated by/at TKNIKA are open and free.

In specific situations at TKNIKA’s discretion, the authorship and property of intangible goods will be protected, and appropriate legal means shall be used to do so.

If necessary, intangible good transfer agreements will be registered in a document/contract without any ambiguity. Aspects such as the following should be included: preamble/explanatory memorandum, purpose of contract, definitions of the terms used (especially when they can lead to misunderstanding), remunerations, payment conditions, trademark use, duration of agreement, intellectual property protection (rights, proof of registration, authorisation of use), confidentiality/secrecy, signatures, date and place.

At all times, both the organisation Tknika and the people who are part thereof (especially those who work in the textile laboratory and/or on especially sensitive projects) will guarantee their impartiality, a lack of external interference in their work, objectivity in their professional criteria and actions, and the confidential nature of the information and knowledge generated in the organisation.

Innovation Strategy

In order for TKNIKA to carry out its role, the selected strategies are as follows:

Promote technological innovation processes in vocational training in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, in order to make vocational education and training more competitive and dynamic.

Collaborate with centres that provide vocational training in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, in developing an information society and ICT, in order to create bonds with the entire world, sharing co-operational learning relationships with the most advanced countries.

Develop training projects with new methodological models, anticipating arising needs.

Manage training on topics related to technological, methodological and management innovation.

Promote innovation processes in management for centres that provide vocational training in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country to create more flexible, dynamic and participatory structures that are based on collaboration, on trust in people and on the independence and management capability of teams.

Promote and coordinate applied innovation projects amongst centres that provide vocational training and SMEs to improve production processes and products.

Promote three-dimensional virtual vocational training settings.

Coordinate company creation projects at centres providing vocational training and collaborate with other entities involved.

Offer and provide training in technological innovation and educate on new technologies applied to production and services, for vocational training teachers at centres in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, in the entire country and abroad.

Undertake different projects within the scope of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, the entire country and abroad.

Carry out all roles entrusted by the governing Vice Ministry in regards to vocational training.