International Staff Week on AI and...

PILSEN, CZECH REPUBLIC – Oleksii Yehorchenkov recently represented Comenius University and Spectra CE EU at the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) and International Staff Week 2026. The week-long event, titled "Bridging Academia with Industry: Research, Internships and AI in Practice," brought together professionals and academics from across the continent to explore the evolving landscape of technology transfer and innovation.

The programme was hosted by the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and OTH Amberg-Weiden and brought together participants from Greece, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Romania, and Slovakia.

During the programme, Oleksii Yehorchenkov presented Comenius University in Bratislava, the Faculty of Management, SPECTRA Centre of Excellence EU, and its current projects, including the STICS project, to the participants and organisers of the event. This provided an opportunity to introduce SPECTRA’s research, educational, and international cooperation activities and to share experience from ongoing project initiatives.

Strengthening University-Industry Links

Throughout the week, participants examined successful models of cooperation between higher education and the private sector. The agenda focused on moving beyond theoretical discussion to practical implementation, featuring:

Research Centre Site Visits: On-site tours of university research facilities to observe ongoing industrial projects.
Applied Research Case Studies: Direct examples of collaborative initiatives between academic institutions and commercial enterprises.
Technology Transfer: Deep dives into the processes of moving innovation from the laboratory to the market.
Educational Innovation: Discussions on how internships and applied research can better prepare students for the modern workforce.

AI in Practice: From Workshops to Factories

A significant portion of the event was dedicated to the practical application of Artificial Intelligence. Participants engaged in AI skills workshops and explored real-world use cases, including AI-driven factories and AI-assisted pitching for technology transfer.

Reflecting on the sessions, Oleksii Yehorchenkov noted that these practical demonstrations underscored that AI has moved beyond a buzzword and is now a functional tool for driving efficiency, creativity, and industrial innovation.