Why Partners in Innovation?
The pace of development in ICT is very high. Nobody knows what the ICT applications of tomorrow will be. It is, therefore, important to help students become critical ICT professionals, able to constantly challenge progress.
In hybrid teams, our students, lecturers, expertise centres and Fontys Information and Communication Technology partner companies develop talent and ICT innovation. They search for innovative answers to practical research questions in a shared learning environment. Here a sustainable and intensive research collaboration between education and the field ensures a Lifelong Development of the ICT professional and a contribution to the Digital Transformation in the Brainport and Midpoint region. The Partners in Innovation are united in the SPARC cooperative.
SPARC - co-creation and co-operation
SPARC is a network of leading organisations from various industries, who highly value broader knowledge generation and sharing in the ICT domain within the Brainport region. That is why they have been working together with Fontys ICT as investors and partners in research and education for some time. The Partners in Innovation play a major role by bringing practice-oriented research questions from their business into education. In this way, SPARC and Fontys ICT jointly shape the ICT developments of tomorrow by connecting students' educative process directly to hands-on business practicality. In addition to their central role in this unique form of education, SPARC members invest in long-term research initiated by the Fontys research groups. They do this by means of an annual contribution to the cooperative and contribution of knowledge and expertise. By joining forces in a network, the independent SPARC cooperation offers more moving power for the acquirement of research funds. SPARC has its own board.
Partners in Innovation:
- Annually submit three innovative practice-oriented research questions, lasting up to 20 (school) weeks (semester);
- Get to know third and fourth year ICT students, (teacher) researchers and the FHICT lecturers through intensive cooperation;
- Have access to the Fontys ICT InnovationLab location, workplaces and facilities;
- Benefit from the expertise, knowledge and materials of the Fontys ICT InnovationLab;
- Are part of the SPARC network;
- Have the possibility to organise activities on location.
Partners in Innovation may, of course, also present themselves during Fontys open days, the FHICT Career Day, participate in one of the Work field Advisory Committees (WAC's) of the majors or in the Strategic Advisory Council for Fontys ICT.
Fontys ICT Innovationlab
The Fontys ICT InnovationLab is an inspiring environment in the historic industrial grounds of Eindhoven where chance encounters generate new insights. Where education and organisations invest in the future of ICT together and have every opportunity to learn, research and work together.