Work in progress: The NextTechTalents Implementation Handbook

The NextTechTalents project partners are currently developing one of its key outcomes – the Implementation Handbook. The handbook will combine the knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned throughout the project, providing organisations with guidance on supporting early-career researchers and strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.

A guide for different stakeholders

The handbook is being developed for universities, research organisations, companies, innovation hubs, HR professionals, career development specialists, and early-career researchers themselves. One of its features will be a set of personas that represent the different stakeholders involved in the research and innovation ecosystem, that will help readers better understand the perspectives, needs, motivations, and challenges of different groups. By presenting these viewpoints, the handbook aims to encourage stronger cooperation and a better understanding of how each stakeholder contributes to researcher career development.

Practical Tools and Good Practices

The handbook will introduce practical methods and examples that emerge from the project’s pilot activities. Readers can expect an overview of training approaches, webinars, networking workshops, mentoring activities, and partnership-building events that help researchers develop transferable skills while strengthening links between research and industry. The handbook will also include practical recommendations, implementation ideas, and examples of good practice collected throughout the project. These resources are intended to help organisations adapt successful approaches to their own environment, regardless of their size or experience in researcher development.

Another important focus of the handbook is knowledge transfer. It will explore ways to improve communication between universities, businesses, and innovation support organisations, making collaboration more effective and helping research results reach practical application more easily.

The Implementation Handbook is currently in development and will become one of the main outcomes of the NextTechTalents project. Once completed, it will be freely available on the NextTechTalents website, allowing organisations and interested stakeholders to access and use its practical guidance and resources.