Innovators Bridge North Rhine-Westphalia – Ukraine
Virtual Meeting Platform
Among the Ukrainians are many academics and prospective entrepreneurs whose careers at universities, research institutes or plans to set up innovative start-ups have come to a standstill. This applies on the ground in Ukraine, where R&D work and start-up activities have been massively disrupted by the war as for refugees. Individuals, SMEs, innovators, startups as well as the country as a whole are experiencing severe setbacks in their scientific, technological and business development. As part of a larger package of support measures funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Innovators Bridge virtual matchmaking platform aims to open up opportunities in the areas of R&D, innovation and start-up projects for Ukrainian innovators, either at home in Ukraine or currently refugees, and to offer universities, research institutes and technology-driven or research-based enterprises in NRW the possibility to access and profit from their expertise.
In a nutshell: The platform brings together Ukrainian innovators and NRW organisations, offering value added for both sides, so please register now!
Bridging via the Innovators Bridge virtual meeting platform is
twofold: Firstly, the aim is to build a strong bridge between Ukraine
and North Rhine-Westphalia in knowledge-intensive fields. Secondly, the
initiative will help Ukrainian innovators to bridge the gap to let them return to work with the knowledge and skills
acquired through their cooperation with organisations in NRW.
The platform, which is GDPR-compliant, comprises three main areas "Seeking for project jobs and/or contracts" , "Seeking for project staff and/or experts" and Job Offers, which are only visible for
registered users. Under
"Seeking for project jobs and/or contracts" and "Seeking for project staff and/or experts" Ukrainian innovators can upload
their CVs and potential employers can upload their
organisations’ profiles. Organisations seeking for project staff can
post advertisements, e.g. for internships or (remote) project
placements. Individuals seeking for project jobs can look for suitable temporary work, either
on-site in NRW or remote, via a search function using keywords. Where
there is a match, both parties can arrange a
first meeting or interview via videocall. The video function will later
additionally be used for online events during the course of the project,
which will initially last one year.
Responsibility for project implementation lies with NRW.Europa, the
node for North Rhine-Westphalia of the Enterprise Europe Network, an
international business support network with around 600 partner
organisations and 3,000 local experts in over 60 countries.
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What can NRW organisations (Seeking for project staff and/or experts) expect?
- Access to new expertise
- Input of innovative ideas and different experience
- Growing number of Ukrainian job seekers on the platform
- Easy online contact to potential employees, service providers or project partners
- Smart search filters to find the best applicants or partners
- New international partners (both the hosted innovator and their networks)
- Information and briefings on administrative topics (e.g. project funding, employment modalities) in the shape of webinars via the platform or on-site events
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What can Ukrainian professionals (Seeking for project jobs and/or contracts) expect?
- A (new) source of income
- Temporary posts or projects with NRW organisations, either on-site in NRW or remote
- Service contracts
- New jobs advertised on a regular basis
- The possibility to raise their visibility and contribute their expertise
- Easy online contact to potential job providers
- An opportunity to gain further experience and skills as well as make new contacts
- A meaningful way to spend the time until they can return to their former activities
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What can both expect?
- Possibility to meet face-to-face via a videocall function, e.g. for interviews
- Support from the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) in North Rhine-Westphalia and Ukraine
- Potential for joint projects in the areas of R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship, e.g. under Horizon Europe, to which Ukraine is associated
- Online events and webinars
- Greater international understanding and cooperation
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