Innovative Training Networks

Innovative Training Networks
Name	Innovative Training Networks
Established	2014
Type	Research training initiative
Administered by	European Commission
Funding programme	Horizon 2020

Innovative Training Networks

Innovative Training Networks are collaborative research training initiatives launched to support early-stage researchers across Europe and beyond. They bring together universities, research institutes, companies and non-governmental organizations to provide doctoral-level training combining academic research, industrial experience and international mobility. The initiative aligns with broader funding schemes and policy frameworks that promote cross-border cooperation, skills development and innovation-driven research.

Overview

Innovative Training Networks connect partners such as European Commission, European Research Council, Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, European University Association and regional development agencies to implement doctoral training programs. Participating institutions often include members from University of Oxford, Max Planck Society, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, Sorbonne University, University of Cambridge, Karolinska Institutet, University of Bologna, University of Barcelona and industrial partners like Siemens, Philips, Roche, BASF, Airbus and Nestlé. Networks frequently partner with research infrastructures such as European Molecular Biology Laboratory, CERN, European Space Agency and EMBL-EBI to access advanced facilities.

Objectives and Scope

The objectives emphasize training researchers to operate across sectors, fostering collaboration among institutions including CERN, European Space Agency, Eurostat, OECD, World Health Organization and multinational companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline. The scope often spans disciplines represented at ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, Technical University of Munich, CNRS, INRIA and Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, integrating expertise from centers such as Karolinska Institutet and Institut Pasteur to address thematic challenges highlighted by initiatives like European Green Deal, Digital Single Market, Horizon Europe and European Innovation Council.

Structure and Funding Mechanisms

Networks are structured as consortia of academic and non-academic beneficiaries including University College London, University of Edinburgh, Freie Universität Berlin, EIT Health, Fraunhofer Society and companies like SAP. Funding mechanisms leverage programs administered by European Commission under frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and successor schemes, with budgetary oversight from bodies like European Court of Auditors, and coordination involving agencies like European Research Council and national research councils including UK Research and Innovation, German Research Foundation and Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Grant agreements define secondment rules, recruitment quotas and deliverables coordinated through project management offices often modeled on practices at Max Planck Society and Wellcome Trust.

Recruitment, Training and Mobility Practices

Recruitment follows transparent calls with eligibility rules influenced by policies from European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, European Commission and national ministries such as Ministry of Education (France), Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung and UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Training combines academic supervision from institutions like University of Cambridge and Sorbonne University with industry secondments at firms like AstraZeneca and Siemens, and mobility through partner sites including EMBL, CERN and European XFEL. Researchers participate in transferable skills workshops drawing on models from European University Association, career development services at Imperial College London and entrepreneurial modules inspired by European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Impact, Evaluation and Outcomes

Evaluations measure outputs such as publications in journals like Nature, Science, Lancet and Cell, patents filed with offices like European Patent Office and start-ups incubated at hubs like Station F and Cambridge Enterprise. Outcomes include career trajectories spanning academia (positions at Max Planck Society, CNRS, Karolinska Institutet), industry roles at Roche, Siemens and Google, and policy positions within European Commission and OECD. Impact assessments are carried out by evaluators affiliated with RAND Corporation, European Court of Auditors and consultancy firms such as McKinsey & Company.

Challenges and Criticisms

Critics cite issues involving administrative burden from compliance with European Commission grant rules, uneven access among institutions including disparities between University of Oxford and smaller regional universities, and tensions between academic freedom at CNRS and industrial confidentiality at firms like Philips and Roche. Other concerns reference evaluation methods used by panels involving members from European Research Council, potential fragmentation compared with efforts by European Research Area, and sustainability after funding cycles managed under Horizon 2020 and successor programs.

Notable Programs and Case Studies

Notable consortia include networks affiliated with institutions such as Imperial College London and Karolinska Institutet focusing on biomedical research, collaborations with CERN and EPFL addressing physics and engineering, and interdisciplinary projects linking University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich and Max Planck Society on artificial intelligence and materials science. Case studies highlight spin-outs from partnerships with Cambridge Enterprise and incubators like Station F, secondments to Siemens and AstraZeneca, and career outcomes placing alumni at European Commission, OECD and multinational firms such as Google and Novartis.

Category:Research training programs