INNOFEIT DIH and ITS Software Center Skopje signed a memorandum of cooperation

INNOFEIT Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) signed a memorandum of cooperation with ITS Software Center Skopje (local subsidiary of Iskratel Slovenia, part of the S&T group Austria) within its activities for capacity enhancement and strengthening of the partner network. The memorandum opens the possibility to use Iskratel’s middleware platform for data acquisition and storage from various networked sensors (concept of Internet-of-Things – IoT). Current project portfolio of INNOFEIT comprises a significant number of designed and prorotyped IoT solutions that are laboratory and commercially validated (https://inno.feit.ukim.edu.mk/projects/). Expanding its operation in the DIH domain and the cooperation with one of the world leaders on the ICT market fosters a significant upgrade of INNOFEIT’s capacity for cooperation and stimulation of the innovations in the entire innovation ecosystem.

INNOFEIT DIH is envisioned as a one-stop shop for all interested parties through offer of technical expertise and experimentation capabilities. The cooperation with Iskratel allows “test before invest” using modern digital technologies for all partners in the network of INNOFEIT DIH. This also ensures lower costs for creation of novel products and fast-tracking of the innovation commercialization process.

The capacity enhancement of INNOFEIT as a DIH is supported by the Fund for Innovations and Technology Development (FITD) of N. Macedonia. The cooperation with Iskratel is a new communication bridge that will allow the establishment of the first operational IoT platform/laboratory in N. Macedonia fostering research and innovation. The platform would be available for all interested parties to experiment and validate concepts and develop applications to support the digital transformation process.

INNOFEIT is a Center for Technology Transfer and Innovations at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies (FEEIT) and is the first and sole fully-operational DIH in N. Macedonia. DIHs are essential players in the novel EC framework (Horizon Europe), 2021- 2027, with a budget of 9.2B euros. The future of European research envisions cooperation with the industry and the DIHs are quintessential facilitators of the process.

ITS Software Center Skopje is part of the Iskratel Slovenia group that recently (1.07.2020) became part of the S&T AG group Austria. The main mission of ITS Software Center is to create architecture, design, develop, integrate and validate software components, applications and solutions being used in the portfolio of products and solutions of Iskratel in two key areas: telecommunications and IoT.