Our Partners
Bulgaria
Digital National Alliance
Digital National Alliance (DNA) is a non-governmental organization and is part of the initiative of the European Commission “Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs”. It aims to promote and implement the objectives of the initiative in Bulgaria. It was launched in June 2014 as the National Coalition for Digital Jobs in Bulgaria by Gergana Passy – Digital Champion for Bulgaria.
DNA brings together public authorities, business, education, training and labor market stakeholders. It supports the activities of more than 30 members of the alliance to respond to the shortage of ICT skills, and to meet the demand of ICT professionals and experts in Bulgaria.
DNA facilitates the dialog between the major stakeholders in the field of ICT in the country – the Bulgarian Government, Academia and top training providers, local branches of the major global businesses such as Google, Microsoft, etc. and the local ICT business and start-up ecosystem.
Bulgaria
New Bulgarian University
NBU is a student-oriented, autonomous academic institution for cultivating and enterprising persons responsible for their own development in a democratic environment, civil society, market relations, European and world integration. As a liberal academic institution, NBU is based on the relation between education, research and entrepreneurship.
NBU provides general interdisciplinary and narrowly specialized education based on research related to practice. It determines its academic profile in the sphere of social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and new technologies, and arts.
NBU was established in September 1991 upon a decision of the Great National Assembly. On 5 July 2001, NBU obtained institutional accreditation from the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency for a maximum of 6-year period, and in December 2005 it passed through the second accreditation procedure. In 2004 NBU was accredited by The Open University in Great Britain.
It was the first university in Bulgaria, which introduced the credit system, the study for the educational degrees specialist, bachelor and master, the distance learning and continuing education. NBU has 27 departments and educational centers in Sofia, Vidin, Varna and Plovdiv. Annually, 12.000 students study at NBU.
The studies are organized in educational programmes at the schools and centers for continuing education. The educational curricula are interdisciplinary, and include courses, provided by the different departments, focusing on active educational forms, including distance and virtual learning.
The Department of Informatics has more than 1.000 undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students. The master degree programmes on “IT Project Management”, “Internet software technologies” and “Multimedia and computer animation” of the department have been rated as second best in Bulgaria by the Bulgarian University Ranking System of the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Bulgaria for the last four years, since the rating system was introduced.
Bulgaria
ESI CEE
ESI Center Eastern Europe was established in 2003 as a public-private partnership by the European Software Institute, Spain, Bulgarian Association of Software Companies and with the support of Bulgarian ICT Agency, UNDP-Bulgaria, USAID and ICT industry stakeholders.
The mission of ESI CEE is to increase ICT professional skills and qualifications in Eastern Europe implementing global leading strategic management and software engineering methodologies, to improve the industry capacity and productivity and ICT business competitiveness. ESI CEE is specialized in providing training and certification to ICT practitioners in the field of Quality Management, leading ICT projects & teams, information security, strategic ICT business planning and management.
Since its establishment, ESI CEE has had a close collaboration with New Bulgarian University and three other national universities. ESI CEE provides academic and executive training in quality models, software design, digitized ecosystems and management, cyber security and threats, etc. ESI CEE actively engages with advanced students and researchers from Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence (and Machine Learning) programmes.
An ESI CEE’s expert is a Steering Committee member of the EC CEN Workshop in ICT skills and a national representative in CEN on standardization of e-competences.
CROATIA
Algebra University College
Algebra University College is a not- for-profit private accredited higher educational institution active in the fields of computer engineering and economy. Institutions’ current study programmes on levels 6 and 7 of EQF (undergraduate and graduate) include: computer engineering, multimedia engineering and digital marketing on both levels, as well as one of the first accredited eleadership MBA study programmes in Europe.
Algebra currently has more than 900 active students and 140 teachers, out of which more than 25 are full time employees, with additional 20 full time employed assistants, technical and administrative staff. According to the Croatian national Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE), Algebra currently has a highly developed quality assurance system and outstanding overall re-accreditation results compared to other professional higher educational institutions in Croatia.
For the provision of innovative projects aiming to attract more secondary school students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Algebra was awarded Partner of the year 2014 – best Microsoft educational partner award (out of 3200 institutions globally). The institution has experience in some 25 EU funded projects as a consortium partner or leading organization during the past decade. Besides digital technologies, being the main focus of professional and scientific interest, the team of scientists and experts is active also in areas of National Qualification Standards development, Data Analytics, Social Network Analysis in Human Resource Development as well as in introduction of HRM and knowledge management ICT systems in public and private organizations in Croatia.
Germany
Muenster University of Applied Sciences
The Münster University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1971 out of eight public and private schools and has developed to a modern, achievement-oriented university. The university is with approximately 10.000 students one of the biggest institutions of its kind in Germany. It has 400 staff members (thereof 250 teaching staff) and offers 50 courses of study in 12 departments and 3 interdisciplinary institutions. Research is concentrated in the following 6 competence areas: Construction/Environment/Resource, Health/Life Sciences, Product and Process Development, Applied Social Sciences, Company and Service Management, Communication/Information.
MUAS puts itself into service for the people in the society. With a multidisciplinary approach, it qualifies people for life in the global market and imparts a living understanding for the changing world of life and work. Supported by a network of strategic partnerships, MUAS develops the leading position among German HEIs through a market oriented, effective and enduring design of education as well as the transfer of knowledge and research.
In 2007, MUAS was awarded as one of the Top 5 Universities for university-industry knowledge exchange by the German Ministry of Education and Research.
Residing within MUAS, Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre (S2BMRC) is recognised world-wide for its approach to Science-to-Business Marketing. The center has 20 team members and researchers and has developed knowledge, models and tools in entrepreneurship, university-business cooperation, innovation and technology transfer.
Italy
Gruppo Pragma
Gruppo Pragma Srl is a SME that since 1996 has been operating in multimedia communication, elearning and knowledge management. Gruppo Pragma has its own R&D Lab in AREA Science Park, Trieste, one of the most important Technological and Scientific Parks in Europe and the largest in Italy.
Innovation and digital technologies have always been a focus for the mission and the development strategy of Gruppo Pragma. The company was awarded twice the first prize and special mention for innovative solutions and processes (2012-2013) by Confindustria (Italian Industrial Association) and the Ministry of Research.
Gruppo Pragma designs and delivers projects to enterprises and public institutions by selecting and implementing the most suitable media and technology mix with a purpose and effective UX focus.
The areas of activity are:
- Professional Communication and Training: the professional communication and training systems are based on innovative and digital methodologies, including social learning and knowledge management platforms.
- Innovation Technology: promoting ICT skills to non-technical professionals and managers.
- Internal and External Marketing: with the help of the virtual assistant project (chatbot), the company designs systems of knowledge sharing based on natural language processing.
Gruppo Pragma has developed (thanks to EU and national funding) and owns a proprietary platform for the implementation of Chatbots, i.e. software characters able to establish a conversation (Question and Answers) in Natural Language with users. Also in 2016-2017 Gruppo Pragma developed and owns a proprietary software platform for social digital learning and e-coaching/e-mentoring.
Italy
Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini
Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini is a group that includes Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, a non-profit organization that deals with cultural and research activities on the subject of work and social inclusion, and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (Benefit Corporation) that carries out projects and studies and offers consultancy and advanced training services. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini is a think-and-do tank active since 1971, with the mission to create social impact through research, evidence-based policy design, projects, cultural production, and dissemination. FGB plans and executes activities that directly impact places, people, and organizations that are part of a growing national and international community that FGB fosters.
FGB’s work is deeply rooted in the values of social inclusion, local cohesion, sustainability, and digital innovation for economic growth, equal opportunities, and access to the job market through skills development, gender equality, and cultural diversity advocacy, civic participation for local development.
FGB offers technical assistance to analyze and evaluate policies, research and data analysis services, communication and dissemination consulting, expertise in the design and facilitation of local communities and networks, vocational training for private and public entities. In the last years, according to the exponential growth of the so-called knowledge economy, FGB has started to focus on an integrated approach to urban development, improving the connection between centers and peripherals in cities. These activities unfold in the planning and management of physical innovation hubs that work to promote, incubate and accelerate new ideas in the sectors of digital technologies, cultural and creative industries, environmental and social sustainability. FGB works in European and extra-European countries with a vast network of stakeholders, including central and local administrations, international agencies, universities and research centers, corporates, social an third sector organizations.
BELGIUM
EFMD AISBL
EFMD is an international network of 966 members from academia, business and public service. EFMD is based in Brussels, with offices in Geneva, Hong Kong, Miami and Prague, occupying approximately 60 employees and consultants. EFMD plays a central role in shaping global approach to higher and management education by bringing together academia and business and providing a unique forum for research and networking on innovation and best practice. EFMD is a globally recognised accreditation body, certifying quality management education through its accreditation services for online academic and corporate courses (EOCCS), academic institutions (EQUIS), face-to-face academic and corporate programmes (EFMD accredited), programmes for developing QA mechanisms (EDAF) and impact assessment for higher education (BSIS). The EFMD accreditation for online programmes (EOCCS) provides a top-quality benchmark. The quality is assessed by Peer Review, a form of international benchmarking. The framework and criteria for assessment are decided and reviewed continuously by an international committee of EFMD members. Eventually, recognition comes through the award of an EFMD accreditation, acknowledged worldwide by potential students, employers, clients and the media. The EFMD network reaches more than 30.000 management professionals from all over the world through a wide range of learning and networking opportunities, publications and studies. In 2019, it is estimated that 2.400 professionals from Europe and abroad attended one or more of the 15 large-scale annual events, a smaller peer-based meeting or a working group. The 50 years of EFMD experience in quality assurance (QA), accreditation, networking and information sharing, have been utilised for implementing international and EU funded projects all over the world. EFMD has channelled its worldwide expertise into EU-funded consortiums aimed at providing solutions to the challenges of European Higher Education today, including to projects targeted specifically to the digital transition in Higher Education.
BULGARIA
Nikola Tesla Academy
Academy Nikola Tesla (www.ANT.bg) aims to change the educational landscape in Bulgaria by shifting the paradigms in STE(A)M studies. It challenges the status quo by rethinking the educational approach and opening it up to school children with talents in arts, science, business, and languages. It follows the Nicola Tesla’s credo: “The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced ideas will be readily taken up. His work is like that of the planter – for the future. His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way. He lives and labours, and hopes.” The educational centre is established in 2012. Its legal name CIIT is a tribute to the Central Institute of Computing Technologies – thought to be the Bulgarian Silicon Valley of 50 years ago as the largest institute for ICT and the engine for innovations in the field of its time. CIIT provides specialised software development services for scientific purposes for some of the major academic institutions in Bulgaria. It specialises in software products for education and actively participates in the training-of-trainers for primary and secondary education on how to utilise technology in everyday classroom teaching. In the last two years, CIIT adopted the trade name of Nicola Tesla Academy for an educational project aiming to involve young children in learning how to code. In the last decade, the digital transformation powers up the growth of the world’s leading economies. Mere computer skills are no longer a competitive advantage but an essential requirement for 74% of the occupations in the EU (EUSTAT) and the new generation of digital natives takes them for granted. Computers already outnumber the global human population. Computer languages become the new cutting-edge knowledge. Nicola Tesla Academy teaches children how to use computer languages to command machines and use them to make their dreams true. In the last year, the Academy’s growth was exponential and created a community of dedicated primary, secondary and tertiary level teachers, trainers and professors who empower motivated students to achieve their potential in science, technologies, engineering, arts, and mathematics by providing specialised extracurricular courses to children from pre-school to university.
