Taru Juurikko

Academia-Industry Training

Our Academia-Industry Training: from the lab to the market

The initiative

Swissnex in Brazil in collaboration with the University of St.Gallen (HSG), the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI) launched training camps for Brazilian and Swiss scientists: “Academia Industry Training”.

The AIT is an initiative by Swissnex in Brazil and the Leading House for the Latin American Region (University of St.Gallen), and consists of two phases: a first training camp in Brazil, connecting Brazilian researchers-entrepreneurs with their Swiss peers; and a second training camp in Switzerland, bringing together Brazilian and Swiss participants.

AIT aims to connect promising researchers-entrepreneurs with the industry in order to develop the market application of their high-level research. It also makes international researchers working together to share best practices, understand new markets, develop new market applications and create synergies.

The key objective is to expose researchers with applicable projects to market opportunities and induce an entrepreneurial spirit and relevant skills for them to take their research from the labs to the market place. Furthermore, the program seeks to incentivize international collaboration and thinking “beyond borders”.

Indeed, this program gives a strong introduction to entrepreneurship featuring workshops in business plan writing, market entry scenarios, funding strategy and pitching classes as well as a deep understanding of Brazilian and Swiss market opportunities, which will be achieved by visiting key institutions in both countries, participating on conferences as well as focusing on networking events to maximize contact between Swiss and Brazilian players.

Opportunities

The objective is to promote the researchers’ contacts and collaboration with the industry in order to promote the market application of their high-level research. And, provide tools, information and contacts for promising researchers from the two countries (Switzerland and Brazil) with an entrepreneurial spirit and an idea to bringing their research into the market and becoming entrepreneurs, as well as networking among them to foster new partnerships and collaborations and among potential funding partners.
Benefits for the participants:

0 1
Boost the recognition of their innovation
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Connect with high-level researchers in their field from Switzerland and Brazil
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Develop a better understanding of the industry environment and establish connections and first partnerships in the Brazilian market
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Access a wide network of peers, mentors and industry experts and acquire tools and skills to analyze the application of their research
0 5
Improve market application by validating their ideas with peers, experts and potential customers
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Engage with researchers and entrepreneurs with a similar background to learn how they transformed their research into a high-quality and high-potential market product and learn about their business practices
0 7
Become pioneers of a Brazilian – Swiss applied researcher’s community

Academia—Industry Training

From the Lab to the Market.

Connecting promising researchers-entrepreneurs with the industry to develop the market application of their high-level research. The program not only encourages international researchers to work together and share best practices, but also to understand new markets and exploit synergies.

Read here our AIT website news