TOP STARS is an opportunity for PhD students and young researchers in the Raw Materials subjects to grasp a clear understanding of how to turn their research into a potential business chance. The school aims at focusing the attention of the participants on how to direct their research towards societal challenges. In this way they don’t only contribute to improve the quality of life of citizens by employing innovative ideas/solutions/services, but they can also produce results which have a potential for further development by the market. So the bottom line is to orient research towards market and social needs.
Beyond building technical competences and offering potential solutions to societal challenges, in the two weeks, the students will learn how to work in teams, how to prepare a business plan, how to be effective in passing key information and how to be successful in pitching. They will transform the way they interact with the job market and they will create opportunities for their future. Companies will provide challenges under the form of use cases. The teams will work on these cases and at the end of the school propose their business solution that could potentially be transformed into their future.