InnoBridgE Takes the Next Step: Second In-Person Meeting of the Project Team

InnoBridgE Takes the Next Step: Second In-Person Meeting of the Project Team

October 2, 2026
Location: Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, UJEP, Ústí nad Labem

On October 2, 2026, the InnoBridgE project team met in person for the second time—this time at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University (UJEP) in Ústí nad Labem. InnoBridgE is a cross-border Interreg project involving the Technical University of Dresden (TUD), UJEP, the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT), and IU International University: It aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saxony and the Ústecký kraj develop key future skills—such as digitalization, adaptability, and resilience—through micro-trainings (learning units lasting five to ten minutes), case studies, networking events, and a bilingual web platform.

Following opening remarks by Jitka Dvořáková (UJEP), Jonathan Dyrna (TUD) presented the project’s current status, the work plan, and the next steps. The focus was on the needs assessment among SMEs: Ulrike Schroer and Helge Fischer (IU), along with Jonathan Dyrna, reported on the WINSAX Business Breakfast in Chemnitz (August 21) and on interviews with the Silicon Saxony network and the BVMW—the companies cited bureaucracy, a shortage of skilled workers, demographic change, and resistance to implementing changes as their biggest challenges. Short digital sessions—micro-trainings—emerged as the preferred learning format.
The Czech partners presented their findings: Milan Dian (UJEP) has already interviewed several SMEs in the Ústí nad Labem region as part of the project; Martin Guba (CVUT) developed potential topics for the micro-training sessions based on scientific studies, including AI for business processes, digital business processes, as well as cybersecurity, data protection, and responsible AI. Together with the entire team, the project vision and the instructional concept were also defined: a modular concept with five categories (current challenges, future skills, mindset, tools, and framework conditions), to which the micro-trainings will be linked. Responsibilities for content were also clarified: CVUT will handle AI and cybersecurity; UJEP, leadership and change; IU, the initial Future Skills content; and TUD, the technical implementation of the learning units.

In addition, the team organized the first networking event on December 2, 2026, in Ústí nad Labem, featuring a best-practice example from an SME and a presentation on cybersecurity by ČVUT, and planned the project’s next communication and dissemination activities.
To conclude the event, Jitka Dvořáková and Milan Dian gave the guests a tour of the UJEP campus and its faculties. The in-person exchange once again demonstrated how important cross-border cooperation is for the project’s future work—the next joint activities are already taking shape.