The SMART4ENV consortium successfully held a dedicated Research Management and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Training on 09 December 2025 at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) in Gebze, Turkey. This hands-on workshop marks a key milestone in strengthening the project’s operational capacity and supporting partners in navigating Horizon Europe requirements for effective knowledge management and innovation exploitation.
The training was delivered by experts from Sustainable Innovation Technology Services Ltd (SITES) —
🔹 Leonardo Piccinetti, CEO of SITES
🔹 Donatella Santoro
🔹 Irina Vitchinka
Their contributions provided the consortium with critical expertise on managing research processes and protecting project-generated knowledge.
🔍 Training Focus and Key Learning Outcomes
The session addressed essential components of Horizon Europe project implementation, covering:
Understanding IPR Fundamentals
Participants explored the strategic importance of different intellectual property types, along with legal frameworks that safeguard innovation results in EU-funded projects.
Applying Horizon Europe Rules
The team examined ownership, protection, access rights, dissemination, and exploitation obligations arising from the Horizon Europe Grant Agreement.
Reading Consortium Agreements
Partners reviewed key IPR-related clauses within the Consortium Agreement, ensuring alignment between contractual obligations and the project’s exploitation strategy.
Learning from Real EU Cases
SITES experts presented practical examples from European ventures such as Ullmanna and dotLumen, illustrating how IPR strategies translate into real-world innovation success.
Building Practical Skills
Partners received templates, checklists, and workflows that support structured research management practices for scientists, engineers, and project managers.
🔧 Strengthening SMART4ENV for Its Next Stages
The training also facilitated strategic discussions on:
- Long-term sustainability of SMART4ENV outputs
- Future exploitation pathways and stakeholder engagement
- Refinement of processes to enhance coordination and impact
This capacity-building activity is central to SMART4ENV’s mission of accelerating regional knowledge, environmental monitoring, and sustainable innovation across partner institutions.
🤝 Acknowledgements
SMART4ENV thanks TÜBİTAK MAM for hosting the training and the SITES team — Leonardo Piccinetti, Donatella Santoro, and Irina Vitchinka — for their valuable guidance, practical insights, and commitment to strengthening the consortium’s capacity.
The project continues to move forward with aligned vision, stronger skills, and enhanced readiness to maximise the societal and environmental impact of its research outcomes.
