Technological progress marks the rhythm of important social and economic changes, making technology a fundamental element for the development of the Basque Country and, therefore, for our vocational education and training.

In this regard, the objective of Tknika’s Technological Innovation and Intelligent Systems Area is to reduce the time that elapses between the emergence of a technology and the fact that Basque society benefits from it, and to research technologies that allow the development of new market niches in the Basque Country.

To this end, we have the Basque Vocational Training Applied Research and Innovation System, which seeks to support society and especially SMEs in the challenge of competing in an environment that demands a high added value. This system is based on the Basque Government’s Intelligent Specialisation Strategy, which establishes the priorities that are deployed from the 6th Basque Vocational Education and Training Plan, through Tknika and the VET centres.

From here on, we set up a surveillance process organized through the so-called Network Hubs. The information collected is processed and communicated to the VET system centres so that they can propose initiatives aligned with it. The initiatives are prioritised, selected and developed through different programmes. Finally, the results obtained are transferred to the other vocational education and training centres and to SMEs.

Research and Applied Innovation System of Euskadi's VET

1 - SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGY. BASQUE GOVERMENT.

Vocational training makes sense based on its alignment with Basque Government policies and with the priorities that it establishes within the framework of smart specialisation. To this end, besides keeping watch over and knowing said policies, Tknika applies them when prioritising the projects to be worked on.

Euskadi’s vocational training is a fundamental agent, acknowledged in different scopes (companies, Government, European classes…), so that, represented by Tknika, Euskadi’s vocational training participates in initiatives oriented toward giving shape to, and rolling out innovation policies.

2 - HUBS

Placing focus on benchmark companies in the community, with sights set on future needs that imply challenges, these hubs identify, prioritize and develop differential capabilities for the productive network.

To this end, we coordinate with reference-point companies in Euskadi that help us to identify said capabilities, and we propose initiatives and projects to be carried out.

For the time being, operational hubs are as follows:

  1. Advanced manufacturing.
  2. Digital and connected factory.
  3. Energy.
  4. Biosciences.

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3 - INNOVATION PROJECTS IN VET CENTERS

Drawing support from the capability and experience of centres in developing innovation projects and the knowledge surrounding them, VET centres develop projects designed to meet their environmental needs, as well as the needs of innovation itself.

Tknika participates in selecting projects to be developed from the centres, and we take charge of monitoring them, as well as of guaranteeing all of their transfer objectives. In addition to proposing the projects to be carried out on an annual basis, the centres are responsible for executing them and their roll-out.

These are the projects currently carried out at the centres:

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4 - AREAS OF SPECIALISATION

We carry out projects with the intent of creating knowledge and training ourselves in the indicated emerging areas as priority by Basque Government policies. In this way we provide the knowledge that our professional training centres need in order to collaborate with companies, responding to the present and future needs of the Basque productive sector.

5 - STRATEGIC SETTINGS: TKGUNE

With the aim of promoting and developing applied innovation in companies, from the VET centers, we develop applied innovation projects with SMEs in the area, using the knowledge, resources and facilities of the network of VET centers.

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Among the areas of interest detected there are some which, due to their complexity or lesser degree of maturity, require greater dedication in order to be able to be adapted to the needs of Vocational Education Training. These are the areas that are worked from the projects of the area and that define our lines of work. The following image shows which are our current lines of work.

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Projects

AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS

To respond from FP Euskadi to the long-term needs of Autonomous Robotics in the Basque Country.

4.0 Workshop

Integration of technologies from Industry 4.0 in mechanical manufacturing workshops so that students can live a user experience of a 4.0 environment in the VET centres.