Last 17th of May, 6 students from ATTRACT Phase 2 Student Program visited the Bioengineering for Reproductive Health group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). Researchers from HYLIGHT presented the last advances and results of the project and students had the opportunity to visit the laboratory premises and other research infrastructures at IBEC.
The visit was held in the frame of the ATTRACT Phase 2 Student programs, which is based on the active collaboration between innovation students and R&D&I projects. In this context, HYLIGHT is working in partnership with students from “Challenge Based Innovation Attract – CBI.ATTRACT”.
The objective of the ATTRACT Academy is to stimulate students to get inspiration from the technologies being developed in the R&D&I projects and to materialize their ideas into prototypes that explore alternative avenues linked to social innovation. This exploration process follows the “design thinking” methodologies with the final aim to address the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations.
CBI.ATTRACT project is organized by Almacube, the incubator, accelerator and innovation hub of the University of Bologna and Confindustria Emilia Area Centro and counts with the participation of the University of Bologna, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and the University of Ferrara, all of them in Italy.
Students, supported by local coaches, investigate breakthrough technologies and exploit their innate potential to create relevant applications for society. The creation path is a hybrid model based on Design Thinking and Tech-Driven innovation processes.
The visit began with a guided tour to the Bioengineering for Reproductive Health group, coordinator of HYLIGHT project at IBEC, where students could see the laboratories and cutting-edge equipment. Moreover, they discussed with researchers, asked questions and solved technical doubts regarding the science behind the project.
After the visit to the laboratories, students spent the afternoon working on their project. The next day, they met with the researchers to present and discuss their ideas. For both parties, the visit was a productive and enriching experience.
The student projects are intended to encourage a new European generation of researchers that intuitively synergize research, innovation and design thinking to address societal challenges in a sustainable manner.
To see examples of the projects accomplished by students in ATTRACT Phase 1, please click here.