Bringing Innovation Systems to Life: Paul Blazek at CARV MCPC 2025

At this year’s CARV MCPC 2025 conference in Siegen, Germany, Paul Blazek shared our research on the future of innovation ecosystems. Under the title "Bringing Innovation Systems to Life: Collaborative Upskilling & Customized Connectivity", he explored how innovation systems can become resilient, human-centric, and future-proof.

From Structures to Living Ecosystems Paul reframed innovation systems as dynamic ecosystems that connect people, organizations, policies, and technologies to foster growth and regional development. Two enablers stood out: collaborative upskilling and customized connectivity.

Focus Parcours: Learning for Regional Needs He introduced Focus Parcours – adaptive learning pathways designed to close skills gaps with precision. These journeys strengthen innovation systems by tailoring education to regional, industrial or thematic needs and promoting collaborative, systemic learning.

Customized Connectivity: Tailored Infrastructure Connectivity, Paul argued, is the backbone of innovation. Beyond faster networks, it’s about integrated solutions that link people, infrastructures, and knowledge across borders – enabling real-time collaboration and scaling best practices.

Human-Centric at the Core Above all, innovation must empower people. Collaborative upskilling and inclusive infrastructures ensure that systems evolve with changing societal and industrial priorities.

Toward a Transnational Innovation Mindset By aligning education, infrastructure, and collaboration, we can move toward sustainable and inclusive innovation models on a global scale.