Tknika, the Centre for Research and Applied Innovation in the Basque Vocational Training System.
Tknika is an agency for applied research and innovation and for the transfer of results of the RDI activity to all centres providing professional training in the Basque Country.
Tknika, founded in 2005, is organically attached to the Vice-Ministry of Vocational Education and Training, Department of Education of the Basque Government.
The objectives of Tknika are:
- Research and promote the relationship of the TVET centres with companies, with technology centres and with other research departments.
- Train TVET teachers on emerging technologies.
- Advance into new environments meant to improve the learning processes.
- Foster the continuous improvement in the TVET system.
- Support the internationalization of the TVET system.
- Promote entrepreneurship among students through the TVET centres.
To do this, Tknika performs the following functions:
Promote technological innovation processes in the Basque vocational education and training.
Collaborate with the VET centres in the development of the information society and the ICT, sharing with every country cooperative learning relationships.
Develop projects on new methodological models in anticipation of emerging needs.
Manage issues related to technological and methodological innovation, and management.
To promote innovation processes in the management of the VET centres, in order to create more flexible, dynamic structures, based on collaboration, reliability, autonomy and the management capacity of teams.
To promote and coordinate projects of applied innovation between VET centres and SMEs in order to improve their production processes and products.
Coordinate business-creation projects at the VET centres and collaborate with other stakeholders.
Provide training on technological innovation and on new technologies applied to the production and to the services, to the VET teachers in the Basque Country, at national and at international level.
Be involved in projects at national and international level.
Tknika is divided in six different areas:
TECHNOLOGY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
INTERNATIONALISATION
LEARNING METHODS
SUSTAINABILITY
Tknika belongs to different regional and international networks to develop its functions:
Objectives, research areas and activities in Tknika are constantly renewed, improved and updated.