The project Practice for universities, solutions for companies of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) connects Slovak companies with universities and research institutions to solve specific questions from the practice of the participating companies. In this way, it supports science, research, innovation, and especially their application in life.The project Practice for universities, solutions for companies, connects the theory of the academic sector with the practice of companies for the fifth year. The companies will submit specific tasks from practice, which the students then solve as topics for their bachelor's, diploma, and dissertation theses. Companies also propose areas for the creation of joint research and development projects with individual faculties or can participate in the teaching process of universities in the form of external lectures, project assignments, or case studies. Last but not least, this project provides students with the opportunity to intern directly in companies."Our agency's rich contacts with companies and academic institutions, as well as our experience from investment aftercare, resulted in the creation of this project, which helps with the transfer of technologies and the support of the application of research into the practice of Slovak companies," underlined Róbert Šimončič, CEO of SARIO.So far, the project Practice for universities, solutions for companies has brought to life many successful connections. One of them is the cooperation of BioX technologies with the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the UK, which resulted in a joint project for the European Space Agency (ESA), the MELLiSA program.Rastislav Krampl, CEO of BioX technologies explained that "as part of the project for ESA, we investigate and evaluate biochemical processes in bacterial cells intended for the purpose of providing food for astronauts. In addition, we are considering another project with this department."(Note: BioX Technologies is developing a device that should extract spirulina from a liquid solution and at the same time convert it into food in a closed cycle.)With services in the field of connecting companies with universities, SARIO contributes to the improvement of the innovation ecosystem and the building of the knowledge-based economy in Slovakia. In addition to increasing the transfer of technology and research from the academy to practice, the project's goal is to stimulate the introduction of innovations in Slovak companies, as well as to improve the practical skills of graduates so that they reflect the demands of the market.Registration for the companies to the 5th edition of the project Practice for universities, solutions for companies is open until March 3, 2023.
