As part of its ongoing commitment to the digitalization of the economy, the EU stated that “data-driven business models are the engine of Europe’s growth, industrial transformation and job creation”. The benefits are clear: existing and new businesses responding to smart data can improve products and services, thus generating economic growth while contributing to social progress. To address the issue of the digitalization of the economy, we brought to life the Generation Data project. The aim of the project was to improve the ability of HEI education providers to understand and teach smart data skills, thus providing Students, early stage entrepreneurs and businesses with more relevant, effective training. After the end of the project, we can say this objective was achieved. The project was actively performed by six partner institutions from five countries: •University Of Szczecin (Lead partner) - POLAND •European Universities Continuing Education Network - BELGIUM •European E-Learning Institute - DENMARK •Letterkenny Institute Of Technology - IRELAND •Feltech Software Innovations Ltd - IRELAND •Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas - LITHUANIA University of Szczecin, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas provided academic knowledge and helped the partnership in reaching students and teachers (with help of EUCEN), while Feltech Software Innovations and European E-learning Instituted focused their efforts on entrepreneurs and business institutions. During the project realization we produced all main project outputs which are: - Generation Data toolkit (Intellectual Output no. 1) - a survey of current smart data skills in education (in Polish, English and Danish language) - Generation Data Course – Open Educational Resources (Intellectual Output no. 2) – smart data skills teaching model which contains six modules, notes, facilitators guide and glossary (in Polish, English, Danish and Lithuanian language) - Online Generation Data course (Intellectual Output no. 3) - to maximize access to the new training and reinforce classroom delivery (in Polish, English and Danish language) We assumed organization of training for the1st generation of teachers and lecturers during the international training week in Ireland, but COVID-19 outbreak forced us to change our plans. Instead of the traditional meeting, we invited teachers and lecturers to online training which turned out to be a big success (on-line LTT attracted over 40 participants).Due to pandemic restrictions we had to cancel most of the multiplier events and it was only a Lithuanian partner who had a chance to organize a successful event which brought together many interesting guests to Vilnius. Project partners are satisfied with not only the quality of project results, but also with the project impact. The toolkit was downloaded from the website more than 300 times, while the OER’s were downloaded more than 1200 times. We have reached nearly 100 000 visits on the project website, promoted the project through different medias (e-mails, newsletters, radio, journals, websites).

Although SMEs are referred to as the backbone of Europe’s economy, it is really micro enterprises (with less than 10 employees) that sustain employment and have most growth potential: 9 out of 10 SMEs are micro-enterprises, they employee one third of the workforce and produce more than 40% of economic value added (EC, Annual Report on European SMEs 2018).With innovation at the forefront of the drive for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, it follows that innovation support and training should be focussed on the micro sector. However, innovation policy and practice -at EU and national level- is still dominated by the conventional R&D model, involving high investment in hi-technology. Although suitable for large companies, especially in industry and manufacturing, this is not viable for most micro-enterprises given their acute financial constraints and ongoing low levels of consumer spending across Europe.Lean innovation offers an alternative route to innovation; a cost-effective, low-tech approach, it prioritises design thinking and agile experimentation to generate value-maximizing products and services, thus helping small businesses grow in spite of their economic conditions. In addition, unlike traditional innovation, which is resource dependent, lean innovation is a knowledge and skills based approach and so vocational training organizations can play a key role in developing these skills. OUR OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIESOur overall goal, therefore, is to introduce the lean innovation skillset to our education system and by extension to our economies. In order to do so, our specific objectives are: a.Motivate micro-entrepreneurs to engage in innovation training by creating a self-assessment tool that helps identify the innovation knowledge and skills that will be most useful to their particular business context/goals. b.Increase the availability and quality of Lean Innovation teaching for micro-entrepreneurs by assisting entrepreneurship education providers to quickly integrate it into classroom teaching via a made-to-measure curriculum, teachers’ packs and OERsc.Maximise access to lean innovation skills development for micro-entrepreneurs through an online training course PARTICIPANTSThe project involves participants at all stages, from design to execution to evaluation, specifically: - 120 Micro Enterprise will participate in the testing of the Online Self-assessment tool- 24 teaching staff from VET institutions and HEIs will participate in the USER TESTING of the OERs- 60 existing micro enterprise/ student entrepreneurs will participate in USER TESTING of the OERs and Online course- 200+ VET institutions, HE institutions and wider stakeholders will participate in MULTIPLIER EVENTS- 10,000 individuals from the target groups will engage with materials online through our interactive dissemination.RESULTSThe tangible results of the project will include: IO1 Formative Self Assessment Tool. This online, interactive diagnostic tool enables users to evaluate their current innovation capacity and “readiness”. It constitutes the first phase of the learning process for micro enterprises and entrepreneurs, but also allows trainers’ back-end access to the results of their group for better understandingIO2 Lean Innovation Curriculum and OERs consist of a complete set of learning objectives, training materials and case studies providing entrepreneurship trainers and lecturers the ability to impart to micro enterprises/entrepreneurs the knowledge, skills and self-belief required to engage in great product and service innovation using lean innovation methods and techniques. IO3 Lean Innovation Online Course. The OERs will be adapted into a series of short modules for use on computers, tablets or smartphones, for micro enterprises. This enables access to high quality learning for those who prefer self-led learning due to geographic, time or other constraints.IMPACTThe structure of LIME has been designed so that the activities carried out are capable of generating the desired change within each of the target groups, and that together this will create system-level change. As more and more VET organizations implement the training model, the project will generate an increase in the availability and quality of innovation education. This will lead to the thousands of small businesses acquiring a lean innovation mind-set and engaging in low-tech, practical innovation thanks to the improved education they receive.The impact of the project will be felt most at local and regional level through the strengthening of innovation teaching. However, it also provides a reliable means of advancing systemic changes in approaches to innovation at national and international levels given the high relevance of Lean Innovation to the demands of our contemporary European economy and the involvement of key stakeholders in education, enterprise and development.

The Age Friendly Communities project is transformative since it creates lasting impact for businesses, particularly SMEs and their employees; using innovative VET work-based learning methods to enhance critical digital and entrepreneurial skills that help companies respond to the increasing demand for new products and services within the Silver Economy. Rapid demographic ageing is not only a major societal challenge but also a major opportunity for new jobs and growth. However, the silver segment remains underserved despite being the biggest opportunity in the market. Products and services are not designed to meet older people’s needs and despite being worth half of the market, only 10% of marketing spend is aimed at this group. Thus the aim of our Age Friendly Communities project is clear; to support individuals working in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop entrepreneurial, innovation and digital skills through innovative WBL that support their professional development but also innovate the products and services demanded by older people. As result, older people are being offered improved and more appropriate products and services, and regions will benefit from increased economic activity and development. In order to achieve this we set out the following project methodology. The main activities undertaken include: A work based learning toolkit was developed to guide VET providers, business support organisations and wider stakeholders to effectively guide work based learning for SME’s in their region. See appendix 1. Four regional stakeholder partnerships were established as part of this process bringing together 58 stakeholders. They were consulted for needs analysis, mapping of existing supports, the development of regional action plans and dissemination activities.A set of open education resources on Digital Technology Skills was developed comprising a wealth of information in over 250 slides. A summary is included as appendix 2. 60 SME’s/16 trainers were trained in its usage.A 2-day Age Friendly Product/service innovation bootcamp was developed. 67 SME’s took part in these bootcamps across the four regions and each received a bespoke commercialisation action plan. Our joint syllabus and bootcamp overview are included as Appendix 3 and 3b respectively.An online collaborative exchange platform was developed and over 250 users engaged in its implementation. The work based learning toolkit, the full suite of IO2 materials, information relating to IO3, summaries of our regional plans and much more are available on the collaborative platform www.agefriendlyeconomy.eu Impact As stated previously, this project is transformative in three main ways, directly tackling key challenges associated with growing the Silver Economy and deficits within the industry. First, it updates the skills of businesses’ staff; ensuring companies have capacity to adapt to changing consumer demand and behaviour. Second, it improves competitiveness through innovative work-based and lifelong learning programmes. Third, it promotes the commercialisation of innovative products and services to meet growing demand. Age Friendly Economy has drawn together organisations through establishing enduring local learning and employer networks and through Strategic Road Maps for Regional WBL and promoting wider impacts across the EU and beyond. Increased numbers of participants will enhance their potential through the acquisition of new skills and training. This will lead to improved productivity and increased commercialisation by SMEs. The project has been successful in responding to a genuine need experienced by partner organisations in the education, entrepreneurship support, voluntary and economic development sectors who will benefit from using the outputs and sustaining the impacts of the project in the long term. Our independent post project evaluation report is included at appendix 4.

Europe needs more entrepreneurial citizens: creative, confident individuals who innovate to solve problems and convert ideas into value across enterprises, organizations and the public sector. Entrepreneurship is now understood as a mind-set, a set of transversal competences of value to ALL individuals. The failure to widen and improve the scope of entrepreneurship education for young people in VET beyond the business planning aspects undermines the ambitions and employability of students, perpetuates youth unemployment, and limits opportunities for value creation for local and regional economic development. MASTER was designed with a clear objective: to increase the proportion of VET students acquiring an entrepreneurial mind-set and engaging in early stage entrepreneurial activity by widening the scope of training, raising awareness and improving the pedagogic capacities of VET policy makers and educators. The regional aspects of this project facilitate improved collaboration between stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and boost sustainability of the project. In order to achieve this we set out the following project methodology. The main activities undertaken include: - A needs and opportunities analysis was developed stating the case for an integrated, cross sector approach to student entrepreneurship education. The paper was developed after an in-depth review of literature and extensive consultations from each of the partner countries and at EU level to explore the enablers, barriers, needs, opportunities and existing support available that relates to the development of entrepreneurship education. - 5 Regional Alliances were established in Ireland, Holland, Spain, Northern Ireland and Denmark which brought together 61 stakeholders from VET, private and public sector. The Alliance was involved in consultation for the needs analysis, mapping existing supports, learning from best practice, the development of Regional Action Plans and dissemination activities. - Jointly develop a Student Entrepreneurship Support Toolkit and pilot at least 10 innovative entrepreneurship training activities across five jurisdictions. The training activities were; Arguing your business idea; Bono's thinking hats; Business Model Canvas; Business Pitch; CIE Model; Intellectual Property Workshop; Launch Game; Radiant Thinking; Random Request and Self-Reflection. The toolkit includes detailed summaries, lesson plans and tips for replicating the activities, this is supported by the project website which includes essential and additional resources to assist teachers in rolling out these activities in their own settings. - The project outputs and findings have been widely disseminated via a multilingual project website and comprehensive dissemination strategy.The unique structure of the MASTER project provided a reliable means of ensuring ongoing, systemic improvements to increasing the proportion of VET students acquiring an entrepreneurial mind-set and engaging in early stage entrepreneurial activity, region by region. Thanks to improved entrepreneurship education in their colleges and institutions, more students will acquire entrepreneurial mindsets, enhancing their employability, and students with start ups will be better linked to the wider entrepreneurship support system to gain focussed support to help push their startups forward upon completion of their course. VET institutions have gained more prominent positions in the entrepreneurship system. Through the Regional Alliances they have built collaborative relationships with the enterprise development and VET entrepreneurship sectors. Overall, their teaching programmes have been strengthened and diversified enhancing the performance and appeal of the VET college. Regional economies will be strengthened by new business starts and cohorts of more entrepreneurial students will enter jobs in the region and drive intrapreneurship and innovation in the organisations they work for. In addition cohorts of more entrepreneurial students will enter jobs in the region and drive intrapreneurship and innovation in the organisations they work for. The project has been successful in responding to a genuine need experienced by partner organisations in the vocational education, entrepreneurship support and economic development sectors who will benefit from using the outputs and sustaining the impacts of the project in the long term.