Project News

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Celebrating Innovation at NPUA: Final Stage of the LISS24 Business Idea Competition

On May 2, 2025, the National Polytechnic University of Armenia proudly hosted the final stage of the “Innovative Business Ideas” Course and Competition within the framework of the Erasmus+ LISS24 “Learn, Innovate, Sell, Succeed” project. The event showcased the creative potential of students and International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme learners who had completed the intensive “Generation of Innovative Ideas” course. Led by Lida Aghajanyan, Associate Professor at the Chair of Technological Management, and Gor Martirosyan, Head of the NPUA Career Center, the course equipped 23 participants with essential skills in: ✅ Creative thinking ✅ Business impact assessment ✅ Business model development ✅ Market research & idea feasibility ✅ Pitching techniques Throughout the course, students engaged in practical group work—refining their ideas through market analysis, creative design, and feasibility testing—preparing them to pitch their projects during the final competition. A total of 12 teams participated, including 2 out-of-competition groups representing the IB Diploma Programme at the NPUA Yerevan High School. Each team presented its idea to a panel of 8 external experts, evaluated based on pre-defined criteria including innovation, research, business model quality, presentation, and teamwork. Winning Projects 1st Place: “Braille Board” (Vahagn Zakaryan, Melik Khalatyan, Lusine Sargsyan): A Bluetooth-enabled tactile device empowering visually impaired users to input text and navigate smartphones independently. 2nd Place: “Smart Cup” (Vanik Tigranyan): A smart drinking cup using sensor technology to support individuals with visual impairments. 3rd Place: “HayConnect” (Nina Avetyan, Roman Margaryan): An app designed to reconnect users with Armenian heritage through cultural, community, and informational content. All course participants will receive official certificates of participation, while the top three teams will receive monetary awards and go on to represent National Polytechnic University of Armenia at the Republican Competition. We thank all mentors, participants, and evaluators who contributed to making this event a success. Special appreciation to the LISS24 consortium for fostering innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and international collaboration.

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Ceremony of awarding certificates and prizes to participants of the “Generation of Innovative Ideas” training course

On April 4, 2025, within the framework of the Erasmus+ “Learn, Innovate, Sell, Succeed” (Erasmus+ LISS24) project, the ceremony of awarding certificates to participants of the “Generation of Innovative Ideas” training course and cash prizes to the teams that won the competition held on March 25 of this year was held. Mr. Paylak Karapetyan, Head of the Staff of the NUACA, and Mr. Varazdat Hovhannisyan, NUACA local coordinator of the LISS24 project, Head of the Center for Quality Assurance and Development of Education, delivered welcoming speeches. Mr. Karapetyan noted the importance of students’ participation in such competitions, as they contribute to the development of students’ innovative thinking and creative abilities. 23 students who regularly participated in the training course were awarded certificates of participation. Representatives of the three winning teams in the competition briefly presented their business ideas. The 1st prize of 150 thousand drams was awarded to the “Flinxy Marketing Platform/Application” business idea, the authors of which are 3rd year students of the “Management and Technology” faculty Nelly Zalyan and Vachagan Vardanyan. The 2nd prize of 120 thousand drams was awarded to the “Ablelife Platform” business idea, the authors of which are 2nd year student of the “Architecture” faculty Dayana Khachatryan, 2nd year student of the “Management and Technology” faculty Hasmik Ghzroyan, 3rd year students of the “Urban Economy and Ecology” faculty Hesu Aghabekyan and Eva Hayrapetyan. The 3rd prize of 80,000 AMD was awarded to the “Blazer” business idea, the authors of which are: 1st year students of the Faculty of “Management and Technology” Hayk Hyusisyan and Arman Poghosyan, 1st year student of the Faculty of “Urban Economy and Ecology” Arusyak Ghazaryan, 1st year student of the Faculty of “Architecture” Liana Petrosyan. After a brief presentation of the business ideas, each team was awarded a “Certificate of Monetary Award”. Closing remarks were made by the Vice-Rector for International Relations, Mr. Vardkes Yedoyan, Dean of the Faculty of “Management and Technology” Ms. Marine Grigoryan, Head of the Department of “Economics, Law and Governance” Ms. Tatevik Yedoyan.

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Innovative Training Course for Students Held within the Framework of the Erasmus+ International Project

At Georgian Technical University (GTU), within the framework of the Erasmus+ grant program's KA2 activity, an institutional development project LISS24 (Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed) organized a planned training course titled "Innovative Competencies: How to Improve Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills." The course covered techniques for generating innovative and entrepreneurial business ideas, fundamental topics in business modeling, theoretical frameworks of entrepreneurship, and practical exercises. 📅 On April 1, the academic staff of the Entrepreneurial Management Program of the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering, together with invited trainers, conducted sessions for students from various GTU faculties on the following topics: ✅ Entrepreneurship in the Global Environment and Modern Trends ✅ Case Studies of Successful Innovative Businesses ✅ Market Research and Identifying Customer Needs ✅ Innovative Competencies and Their Impact on Entrepreneurial Business ✅ Creative Idea Generation Techniques – Brainstorming ✅ Budgeting for Entrepreneurial Projects ✅ Group Problem-Solving Procedures and Design Thinking ✅ Business Model Development and Value Proposition Refinement ✅ Presentation Skills and Competition Preparation During the training program, students worked on various entrepreneurial projects based on the Canvas business model and presented their project pitches in the final stage. 📌 At the end of May this year, another training seminar on “B2B Sales Management” is planned within the project. 📌 For the first time in Georgia, a “Sales Competition” will be held as part of the project, hosted by Georgian Technical University. 🎓 Participants of the training course received official certificates. 💡 Any GTU student with innovative entrepreneurial ideas and the desire to turn them into real business projects was eligible to participate in the event. ________________________________________ About the Project LISS24 is an institutional development grant project under Erasmus+ KA2 activity, aimed at enhancing innovative competencies in engineering education. 🔹 The project introduces the culture of teaching "sales" (Sales) to engineering and other program students 🔹 Strengthens B2B sales competencies 🔹 Implements educational courses and establishes a Sales Lab 📍 The institutional coordination of the project at GTU is carried out by the Office of Technology and Grant Projects. 📍 The project's pilot implementation will take place at the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering. 📍 The main activities planned within the project will provide additional professional development opportunities for students and faculty members. 📅 The "Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed" project is funded under the Erasmus+ KA2 activity and is set to be completed in 2026.