Project News

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GTU to host Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition within the Erasmus+ program

Georgian Technical University will host a large-scale event — the “Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition” — within the framework of the Erasmus+ grant program KA2 institutional strengthening project “Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed” (LISS24). The goal of the project is to support the practical implementation of innovative ideas among students, develop entrepreneurial skills, and share international experience. The event will officially open on May 19 and will involve students, young innovators, and representatives of the academic sphere from both Georgia and Eastern Partnership countries — Finland, Sweden, Spain, and Austria. Within the competition, participants will have the opportunity to present their startup ideas, innovative products, and technological projects. According to the dean of the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering at GTU, the event within the framework of LISS24 was planned several months ago. As Professor Boris Githolendia states, the project includes intensive mentoring and a series of educational trainings at partner universities in Georgia and Armenia. At the final stage of the competition, 12 selected teams from 6 universities will present their projects — including student teams from Georgian Technical University. According to the dean, the event is large-scale and will be attended by members of the project consortium together with Georgian and Armenian colleagues, while the winners will be selected by a specially created jury. The competition will be held in various categories, including digital technologies, social impact, creativity, and others. “It is of special importance for us that Georgian Technical University is hosting an international-scale innovation platform. The ‘Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition’ gives students the opportunity to turn their ideas into real projects, deepen their entrepreneurial and technological skills, and establish connections with international professional networks. Innovation in the field of transport systems and mechanical engineering is especially important, as the modern engineering sector is rapidly developing and requires new, practical, and sustainable solutions. Within the university space, the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem is increasingly based on the systematic support of student ideas. The goal of the project is precisely to ensure that young people receive structured knowledge and academic as well as practical assistance already at the stage of shaping their ideas. The LISS24 project significantly improves the innovation ecosystem and creates important opportunities both for our students and at the institutional level.” – Associate Professor Boris Githolendia The LISS24 project aims to enhance innovative competencies in engineering education. At Georgian Technical University, the institutional coordination of the project is carried out by the University Office of Technologies and Grant Projects, while the initial piloting of the results is taking place at the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering. The project’s partner is the GTU Department of Student Services, Culture, and Sports. Additional information about the project is available on the website. https://www.gtu.edu.ge/en/stu-shi-erasmus-programis-pharglebshi-aghmosavleth-partniorobis-qveqhnebis-inovatsiebis-konkursi-chatardeba/

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At the Georgian Technical University, within the framework of the international Erasmus+ project LISS24 (Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed), a “Sales Laboratory” has been established. This was reported by the university.

According to the university, by decision of the Academic and Representative Councils, the “Sales Laboratory” has been founded as a research unit and serves as a multifunctional educational and practical environment. It is designed to support the development of students’ professional skills in both B2B and B2C sales, as well as to facilitate joint research projects with the business sector. According to the Vice-Rector of Georgian Technical University, the functional scope of the laboratory includes the creation of a multifunctional educational and practical space integrating teaching, research, and practical activities. As stated by Professor Tamar Tsereteli, the model is based on modern educational paradigms that prioritize experiential learning and the active involvement of students in real business processes. “The aim of the project is to introduce modern sales standards, methods, and tools into the educational programs of Georgian Technical University. Through the laboratory, students are given the opportunity to develop skills relevant to the business environment, such as negotiation, strategic sales planning, and key account management. Currently, the university’s academic staff is developing relevant courses, which will soon be integrated into various academic programs. This initiative will contribute to fostering a sales culture among engineering students and enhancing their competitiveness,” noted Professor Tamar Tsereteli. According to the Dean of the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering, within the framework of the project, modern technological equipment has been procured for the “Sales Laboratory,” and qualified personnel have been trained. As reported by Professor Boris Gitolendia, with the support of the university administration, the laboratory’s workspace has been fully renovated. “It is noteworthy that this is the first laboratory of its kind in Georgia, and it will significantly strengthen collaboration between the business sector and the university. The laboratory will offer various research services to the business sector aimed at enhancing their sales potential and competitiveness. The LISS24 project is an institutional development grant project implemented under the Erasmus+ KA2 program, aimed at improving innovative competencies in engineering education. At Georgian Technical University, the institutional coordination of the LISS24 project is carried out by the University Office of Technology and Grant Projects, while the initial piloting and main activities are implemented at the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering,” noted Boris Gitolendia. The LISS24 (Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed) project, implemented under the European Union’s Erasmus+ KA2 program, is coordinated by the Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland). The LISS24 project will conclude in December 2026. Additional information about the project can be found at: http://liss24-am.liss24.com/.

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The "Innovative Business Ideas" competition was held at the Polytechnic University within the framework of the Erasmus+ program.

The National Polytechnic University of Armenia successfully launched and held the “Innovative Business Ideas” competition, which was implemented within the framework of the Erasmus+ “Learn, Innovate, Sell, Succeed” (LISS24) program. The initiative brought together creative teams of students and pupils, whose goal was to present to the public business projects containing innovative solutions applicable in the modern market. The competition stage was preceded by specialized thematic courses, during which participants had the opportunity to train and deepen their knowledge in three key areas: creative thinking, comprehensive business impact assessment and business modeling. This preparatory stage was of fundamental importance for the participants, providing the theoretical and practical base necessary to generate competitive ideas. The courses were organized exclusively in an applied format, which allowed the participants to conduct a thorough market analysis and formulate their own ideas through group work. Particular attention was paid to assessing the feasibility of projects, bringing them into line with modern entrepreneurial requirements and market dynamics, which was the main result indicator of the competition. Gor Martirosyan, Director of the Center for Labor Market Research and Professional Career: “The main goal of this competition is to form the students’ abilities not only to generate ideas, but also to make them applicable in the market. We used training and game methods so that participants could develop practical thinking, be able to correctly assess the viability of their idea and effectively present it to investors or partners. It is important for them to understand that an idea has value only when it can solve a real problem and find its place in the market.” The first place went to the “Perseus” project, which involves the development of a new generation development board. It is a multifunctional electronic device designed for programmers and engineers to quickly test, develop and verify various ideas. The device includes a microcontroller, power supply system, connection ports and communication modules, which allows for a wide range of applications. The team members are David Lanjuni, a student of the M 510 academic group, and Lilit Afrikyan, a student of the IT 538 academic group. The second-place team presented the “Air Purification Station” project. It is based on the principle of ionization and is aimed at significantly reducing construction and operation costs, while ensuring high efficiency. According to preliminary calculations, the station is able to purify up to 30 thousand cubic meters of air per hour. The team includes Levon Soghomonyan, a student of the EE 334 academic group, Arayik Karapetyan, a student of the IT 361 group, and Mariam Ghambaryan, a student of the EE 306 group. In total, 5 teams participated in the competition, represented by 12 students from different institutes and faculties of the National University of Science and Technology. The winning teams will receive a unique opportunity to travel to Georgia to participate in an international competition jointly held with students from the program's partner universities. This platform will provide young innovators with the opportunity to present their ideas to a wide international professional audience.

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The EU Erasmus+ “LISS24” project team of NPUA invites students to participate in the free specialized training course "Generation and Presentation of Innovative Business Ideas", which will conclude with corresponding competitions.

Dear Students, 🚀 Are you looking for an exceptional opportunity to develop your career? Join the upcoming free course “GENERATION OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS IDEAS”, implemented at National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) within the framework of the co-Funded by the European Union ERASMUS+ “LISS24” (Learn–Innovate–Sell–Succeed) project. The course will be concluded with an intra-university competition of generated business ideas. All participants will receive certificates, while the winners will advance to the next step, inter-university competitive stage. The course will contribute to refining and clearly formulating your business ideas, as well as to supporting the development and deepening of your practical skills for ideas commercialization. Within the course, you will have a unique opportunity to: ü understand the basics of innovation and its role in business ideas development, ü create original and innovative business ideas using brainstorming and other idea-generation modern methods (e.g., design thinking, mind mapping), ü develop a unique value proposition for your business ideas that meets specific customer needs and differentiates your offer from competitors, ü build valuable new ties with colleagues and discuss, improve, and present your ideas in a competitive, team-based environment, ü meet leading business professionals and learn from their practical experience in commercializing various ideas, ü prepare for the competition to effectively present and defend your innovative business idea before a jury and potential investor(s). Both individual students and pre-formed teams of up to 3–4 students are eligible to participate. 📅 Hurry! The application deadline is March 27, 2026 📆 Course start date: March 30, 2026; end date: April 13, 2026 📍 Schedule: 3 classes per week, starting at 15:00 📍 Location: NPUA, 5th building, Room 5307 Don’t miss the opportunity to turn your idea into a business! 📩 Register now by sending your details (full name, academic group number, and phone number) to: career-center@polytechnic.am , indicating “Innovative Business Ideas Course” in the subject line, or call the NPUA Career Center: +374 10 58 1313 (ext. 6). Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.