An introduction to the Innovation and Creativity Center of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Brief Introduction to the Director of Innovation and Creativity Center:

One of the most important factors in the success of knowledge-based economics is the creation of an ecosystem that guides the ideas and creativity of specialized forces towards knowledge-based products. In this regard, it is necessary to create a cycle of innovation boosting, which includes training, research, technology development and entrepreneurship divisions. All knowledge-based products will create wealth through a specific pathway in this cycle, and help strengthen the cycle with the proper feedback received in the training division.

Innovation centers in each country are one of the key pillars for developing knowledge and turning it into wealth, and in the innovation cycle, the link connecting research to technology is entrepreneurship. The main focus of innovation and creativity centers is to educate and develop innovative thinking and provide support for innovative and creative people. Despite the long presence of technology development centers (as the first building block of support for technology-based businesses) alongside universities, a link between these centers and university faculties and research centers that can transfer the new technologies to the business environment is missing. Having constructive interactions with academic environments, innovation centers are an appropriate environment for the development of new and applied ideas and can play the role of a link connecting the university to business incubator centers and science and technology parks.

Innovation centers provide a good platform for supporting and reinforcing ideas of the new generation, so that more sophisticated and efficient ideas are fed into business incubator centers, bringing about an upgrade in the quality of the output of these centers. In fact, innovation can be understood as the ability to manage creative knowledge, so that it can respond to the needs of the community through a new product or service. Thus, the developed technologies in these centers, which are inspired by the creative ideas of faculty members and students, can be guided in line with the needs of large businesses and industries, along with private and public organizations in the region.

The aim of the establishment of the Innovation Center at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz is in line with the policies established for innovation centers throughout the country, namely the development of the ability to manage creative knowledge, motivational programs to promote innovative thinking and support for innovation and innovative ideas. It should be noted that after the inauguration of the center, it became the main custodian of innovation programs at the university, and all activities related to the goals of the center, which used to be carried out occasionally and haphazardly by other centers and associations, are now covered by this center. This center is monitored with the aim of creating coherence and quality improvement in the programs. Also, having constructive interactions with the small and large businesses and industries at provincial and even nationwide levels, and benefiting from the experience of creative forces active in these businesses and industries have made this center an environment suitable for fostering innovative ideas of industry experts, using the potentials of the university and providing brilliant breakthrough ideas. In this way, a good foundation for the establishment of knowledge-based companies will be created, making a wide variety of job opportunities available for university graduates in the areas needed by the regional industries.

 

1-1. Goals and Objectives of the Innovation and Creativity Center

As previously stated, the main focus of the Innovation and Creativity Center is to connect academics with entrepreneurship centers in order to foster ideas and develop technologies. In this section, we will review the goals and objectives of this center in Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. The goals and objectives are in line with those set by the Ministry of Science for establishing centers of innovation and creativity.

 

Goals

1. Developing an innovation culture in the province and country: The innovation and creativity center is obliged to set the stage for encouraging the academics of the university, the province and even the country into creative thinking, problem solving, and creation of wealth.

 2. Encouraging a knowledge-based attitude for solving problems

3. Strengthening the communication circle of students and graduates with industries / organizations and forming a new model of knowledge-based connection between academics and businesses

4. Providing material and spiritual support for creative ideas and developing knowledge-based products

 

Objectives

In pursuit of these ambitious goals, there are objectives which are all in line with the above-mentioned goals and are quantitatively programmable.

I. Empowering expert and creative forces for the development and commercialization of knowledge-based products and the expansion of entrepreneurship (Goal 1)

II. Creating a suitable platform for addressing the problems and needs of organizations and industries, and introducing them to academics (Goals 2 and 3)

III. Encouraging innovative and knowledge-based thinking in the university, industries, and organizations to solve problems (Goals 2 and 3)

IV. Identifying and evaluating ideas, initiatives and creative projects of academics and industry professionals and organizations (Goal 2)

V. Establishing and supporting specialized think tanks in collaboration with academics, specialists and companies (Goal 3)

VI. Creating a framework for connecting IT professionals to other professionals (humanities, natural sciences and engineering) in order to use IT technologies for data mining and electronic services, in line with the ideas presented.

VII. Technology transfer: accelerating the transfer of ideas and technologies developed at the university to industries and organizations, and turning them into knowledge-based business products (Goal 3)

VIII Providing support from inside and outside the university for creative and knowledge-based ideas (Goal 4). This includes acceleration of financial transactions, provision of organizational / relational facilities, business development, etc.

IX Creating a framework for identifying knowledge-based products developed in this cycle to academics, as well as to other industries and organizations (Goal 4)

X. Providing feedback on the experiences and achievements of the above-mentioned cycle to academics and new thinkers (Goal 1)

Emphasizing and strengthening the protection of intellectual properties