Center for Vocational Education and Innovation Management

Centre for Vocational Education and Innovation Management is a specialised unit focused on designing and implementing systems, models and tools that support the development of workforce competences for the economy and the integration of education and lifelong learning with the needs of enterprises, industry and the labour market. The Centre addresses research and implementation challenges in the fields of management and quality sciences, economics (including behavioural economics in organisations), the development of human and intellectual capital in enterprises, competence analysis and public policy, as well as disciplines examining human functioning in the work environment—with particular emphasis on the conditions and requirements of the digital and green transitions.

The Centre’s mission is to deliver practical, evidence-based and scalable methodological, programme-related and organisational solutions, as well as expert services for stakeholders of the innovation ecosystem: enterprises, public institutions, industry organisations, schools and universities. In practice, this involves developing and testing tools that support business model development and the management of competences, innovation and organisational change, including the use of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies (XR/VR/AR) in learning, training and professional upskilling. The Centre also implements initiatives that enhance the attractiveness of technical and vocational education and develops solutions that foster entrepreneurship and the growth of innovative companies, including through participation in incubation initiatives and startup development programmes in smart specialisation areas.

In line with the principle of science’s social responsibility, the Centre promotes research and innovation by fostering dialogue and engaging a broad range of stakeholders in scientific and R&D activities. These activities are carried out within national programmes (e.g., KPO, FERS) and international programmes (e.g., Erasmus+, INTERREG, LIFE, Horizon Europe), in cooperation with recognised research institutions in Poland and abroad, industrial partners (e.g., KGHM, JSW, FANUC, DMG MORI), employers’ and employees’ organisations across various sectors, central and local government bodies, and non-governmental organisations. We collaborate with leading European academic and research institutions, including Coventry University, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, University “Dunărea de Jos” of Galați, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, Universität Paderborn, University of Malta, Formation et Sensibilisation de Luxembourg, Tech-Park Kaunas, and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), as well as with Polish partners such as Bialystok University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). Our network also includes other scientific institutions and industry partners in Poland and internationally, such as the Radom Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development.
The Centre serves as the editorial office of the biannual scientific journal „Journal of Continuing Education” (indexed and awarded points in the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education – MNiSW – journal list):
https://jce.itee.lukasiewicz.gov.pl/.