On 10 July 2025, a workshop on Capacity Building for UPCO’s Institutional Development was held at the Kosova Chamber of Commerce, organized under the framework of the SHER Programme. This workshop was a key milestone in the strategic partnership between UPCO and SHER, as envisioned in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to strengthen University–Industry collaboration—an area central to both institutions’ missions.

The event opened with official remarks from Mr. Nehat Islami, Executive Director of UPCO Institute, who emphasized the instrumental role SHER has played in UPCO’s institutional development and strategic growth. Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of the SHER Programme, reaffirmed SHER’s ongoing commitment to supporting UPCO, particularly in enhancing its visibility and solidifying its role as a bridge between academia and industry.

The workshop featured an insightful input by Mr. Stefan Thalmann, SHER International Expert, titled “Empowering Domain Experts with Low and No-Code Tools,” presenting two compelling case studies from Austria that demonstrated successful university–industry collaboration and the practical use of digital innovation in academic environments. Participants engaged in a qualitative and open discussion on the current state and future potential of University–Industry collaboration in Kosovo. This was followed by an interactive Ideation Workshop, where participants applied a structured and collaborative approach to explore potential AI use cases relevant to their institutions.

In addition to knowledge exchange, the workshop served as a platform to gather stakeholder feedback from academia, industry, and institutional actors on key issues of institutional development, innovation, and collaboration. The insights and recommendations collected will directly inform the agenda and focus of UPCO’s upcoming conference, which will also be supported by SHER.

The event concluded with a wrap-up session and closing remarks, during which participants expressed appreciation for the relevance, depth, and practical orientation of the discussions. By creating this iterative space for dialogue and development, SHER and UPCO continue to work together to build institutional capacity, foster impactful partnerships.

SHER is funded by the Austrian Development Agency, co-financed by MESTI, and implemented by WUS Austria, ZSI and OeAD.