As summer draws to a close, it is a good time to look back at one of the season’s key activities within ACHIEVE: the Cloud & HPC Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summer School in Ankara, Türkiye.
Over two intensive weeks, students combined advanced digital technologies with entrepreneurship, working together to develop their ideas and ultimately transform them into functional Proof of Concept (PoC) solutions.
Led by Middle East Technical University, the Summer School brought technical learning, mentoring, entrepreneurship, and teamwork together in a programme that gave participants the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice.
Turning Ideas into Proof of Concept Solutions
During the final week, participants worked through an intensive multi-day sprint to develop and refine their solutions.
Alongside this hands-on work, a series of experts introduced participants to different areas connected to technology and entrepreneurship. Dr. Şener Özdender from ArtificaX Technologies explored Deep-tech AI, while Ali Varol from METU TTO discussed global digital marketing for startups.
Assoc. Prof. Cihangir Tezcan from METU covered Post-Quantum Cryptography and AI Security & Privacy, Assoc. Prof. Yonca Toker Gültaş focused on Gender Equality & Diversity, and Assoc. Prof. Elif Surer explored Soft Skills for Professionals.
Together, these sessions gave participants perspectives that extended beyond the technical development of their solutions, covering areas relevant to developing ideas, working professionally, and navigating the wider innovation environment.
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Exploring METU’s Innovation Ecosystem
During the Summer School, they visited the METU-ODTU ROMER Center for Robotics and AI, METU DTX, METU Design Factory, ODTÜ-GÜNAM, and ODTU RUZGEM.
The visits offered a closer look at the research, technologies, and ideas being developed across METU’s innovation ecosystem and complemented the technical and entrepreneurial work taking place throughout the programme.
Six Teams and a Final Pitch
Following days of mentoring, rehearsals, teamwork, and final refinements, six teams presented their AI, HPC, and cloud-based solutions to a seven-member academic-industry jury.
Team 5 took first place with SalesSource, receiving recognition for both the strength of its solution and the quality of its presentation.
The programme then concluded with an awards and certificate ceremony. Participants also visited Anıtkabir and the Ankara Citadel, providing an opportunity to experience more of Ankara before bringing the two weeks to a close.
Connecting Technical Skills and Entrepreneurship
The Summer School reflects the wider educational focus of ACHIEVE, where advanced technical knowledge is connected with innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical learning.
The project’s educational offer includes the Double Degree Master’s programme in “Cloud and Networking Infrastructure and HPC”, part of the EIT Digital Master School portfolio. The programme focuses on advanced skills in large-scale computing and networking systems while also incorporating Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The Summer School provided another setting in which these areas could come together, with participants moving beyond learning about technologies to developing solutions, working collaboratively, and presenting their ideas to an academic-industry jury.
Within the project, Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL contributes to connecting education with employability and applied learning. 28DIGITAL collaborated on the Summer School alongside Middle East Technical University, ODTÜ Teknokent and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, while also supporting the programme within the wider European digital skills landscape.
As August comes to an end, the Cloud & HPC Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summer School offers plenty to look back on: two weeks of intensive work, six final teams, new Proof of Concept solutions, expert input, and a final opportunity for participants to put their ideas in front of a jury.
Congratulations to all the participants, lecturers, speakers, mentors, and organisers who contributed to the programme.
Learn more about ACHIEVE: https://28digital.eu/eu-collaborations/achieve
101190015 — ACHIEVE — DIGITAL-2023-SKILLS-05
Disclaimer: Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
