The University of Primorska (UP), the Centre for Development and Knowledge Transfer (CRPZ UP FM) and the Municipality of Koper (MOK) organised the event "Innovation in pika" on World Science Day, Friday, 10 November 2023, to present the importance of innovation for research and development and raise questions on how to innovate and present the field of innovation innovatively and appropriately. The event brought together researchers from a wide range of fields at UP, the local community with a municipal perspective, and guests from business. This offered many opportunities for networking to develop new, common innovative ideas in the local, regional, and wider area.

The opening speeches of the Rector of UP, Prof. Dr. Klavdija Kutnar, and the Mayor of the MOK, Mr. Ales Bržan, were followed by presentations of good practices by the guests of the meeting. Mr. Tadej Černivec, Director of IPRC, Intellectual Property Consulting and Management d.o.o., took us further into the world of university competitiveness and intellectual property management. Mr. Černivec shared with us the key aspects of intellectual property. What does intellectual property mean? It is inseparable from patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other rights protecting originality and creativity. He introduced us to the different types and forms of intellectual property, which include industrial property rights, copyright, trademarks, and design rights. In addition, Mr Černivec highlighted the purposes and objectives of these types of intellectual property. We learned how these rights protect creators and businesses, and how they stimulate innovation and creativity. Special emphasis is also given to non-technological innovations, particularly important in the university research space. Mr. Černivec presented examples of good practices closest to the university research area, illustrating the successes and benefits of IP management. He also explained how the protection process works in these cases, further clarifying how universities and researchers can use their innovation for long-term benefit.

The event continued with a presentation of the Centre for Development and Knowledge Transfer - CRPZ, which operates under the auspices of the University of Primorska Faculty of Management. The head of CRPZ, Prof. Simona Kustec, shared with the participants how the Centre plays a key role in transferring knowledge from the university environment into practice and disseminating innovative solutions. The University of Primorska creates synergies between researchers, businesses, and the local community and knowledge must be transferred from the university world to everyday life. Prof. Kustec also presented concrete examples of CRPZ projects and activities that contribute to the development of the local and wider environment and through her presentation we saw how the University of Primorska acts as a bridge between academic knowledge and practical application.

Mr. Blaž Gregorin, Marketing Director at Invida, d.o.o., presented the Fortissimo project, which has been recognised as the winning project of the EU Entrepreneurial Innovation Award 2023. Invida is a renowned production studio in Slovenia, specialising in the development and production of original animated films and commercial videos. The Fortissimo project is a unique interactive tool that combines games, music literacy, and cognition to create an exceptional learning experience for children. It is an educational project that aims to bring classical music closer to young people and change the way children learn about music. Participation in the Fortissimo project was made possible by the opportunity offered to INVIDA by the CRPZ of our University through the EEN Slovenia, Enterprise Europe Network, by successfully connecting INVIDA with the partners in the Fortissimo consortium. CRPZ plays a key role in linking academic knowledge with business and their role extends to their collaboration with EEN Slovenia, where they co-create synergies in innovation and entrepreneurial collaboration. With the help of EEN, the project has secured a grant of almost €1.7 million and Fortissimo has become part of an initiative that aims to improve children's intellectual abilities in a relaxed and fun way. In further recognition of its achievements in innovation, Fortissimo has been nominated for the Enterprise Europe Network Awards 2023 as one of the consortium partners of the Fortissimo project.

The presentations were followed by a Round Table on different success stories of innovation at UP, where different representatives of UP members talked about the way they work and communicate innovation:

• Living Laboratory for Cultural Heritage (Dr. Zrinka Mileusnić, UP FHŠ),
• Device and process for attention management and quality interaction in two-way audio-communication platforms (Dr. Denis Trček), Project Think XR (Prof. Dr. Peter Štrukelj, Matevž Malej) (UP FM),
• Scientific Slam (dr. Nino Bašić, UP Famnit),
• UP PEF Ra-Ra Early Childhood Education Research and Development Unit (Dr. Sonja Rutar, UP Pef),
• UP FTŠ sTUOdio Turistica - Student Studio for Sustainable Development and Innovation in Tourism (Dr. Dejan Križaj, UP FTŠ Turistica),
• Ergonomic Stromma (Dr. Nejc Šarabon, UP FVZ),
• Sustainable valorisation of olive leaves within the OLEAF4VALUE project (Dr. Jakub Sandak and Albert Kravos, UP IAM).

Afterward, the participants visited the exhibition of good practices, which is on display in the UP Armeria Hall.

The University of Primorska operates within different member institutions, each of which focuses on specific innovation themes, depending on their areas of work. Through their research and projects, they work together to develop new, shared innovative ideas in our local, regional, and wider area. The University brings together different talents and skills from various fields to create holistic solutions to the challenges facing our society and to work research-intensive in the field of innovation, creating sustainable solutions that will enrich our lives and our surroundings.

Together we build bridges to new opportunities!

INOVACIJA IN PIKA | INNOVATION IN PIKA EVENT