LEARN, INNOVATE, SELL, SUCCEED ERASMUS+ LISS24 PROGRAM MARKS ITS FIRST SUCCESSES

On May 26, in the Agritech lecture hall of the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU), we held the final competition summarizing the interactive training sessions on «Generating Innovative Business Ideas», conducted within the framework of the «Erasmus+ LISS24» program.The month-long course engaged over 25 students, who were grouped into six teams and tasked with developing innovative business ideas based on real-world problems. Each team brought forward unique, thoughtful concepts and demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility, creativity, and teamwork. Their presentations reflected a high level of preparation and enthusiasm, featuring the use of cutting-edge technologies, AI tools, and product prototypes. To assess their work, an experienced jury panel was assembled. Faced with the challenge of selecting the top three among such well-prepared competitors, the jury conducted a thorough, multi-criteria evaluation. Ultimately, the team «WineAura» secured first place, followed by «Snnduk» in second, and «TrackTail» in third. These three teams will advance to the inter-university competition on «Generating Innovative Business Ideas», to be held on June 10, together with the winning teams from NPUA and NUACA. In addition to their placement, the teams «TrackTail» and «AgroShuttle» received personal invitations from jury member Vardan Urutyan to participate in Sevan AgriTech 2025, a prominent regional startup competition.

Working Visit to Armenia | Day 4: Innovation, Competition, and International Collaboration: The 4-Day Phase of the LISS24 Workshop in Armenia Concludes

On the fourth day of the event, the European guests were introduced to the technical and laboratory capacities and facilities of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. Participants of the large-scale initiative aimed at developing innovative ideas and B2B sales skills were guided through the University’s Research and Education Center for Aerial Robotics and the National Engineering Laboratories of Armenia, where they were familiarized with ongoing and prospective developments, as well as the steps taken to increase student involvement in research activities. The guests were also shown the designated space and acquired equipment for the upcoming B2B Sales Laboratory to be launched within the framework of LISS24. Reflections on the 4-Day Workshop Timo Holopainen, LISS24 Project Senior Content Lead: “We are very satisfied with the visit. Honestly, it was a fantastic program. We had very good workshops, particularly focused on the work packages, and I must say I’m impressed with the progress. We also had two competitions: innovation and sales, organized for the first time in Armenia. Of course, there is room for improvement, but I always say: the most important thing is to start - then comes refinement. If I had to describe this 4-day visit and the LISS24 program in one word, it would be excellent.” Sargis Asatryants, Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Reforms, NPUA: “LISS24 is a successful project and a continuation of the earlier InoSens program, which also promoted the development of innovative ideas. This demonstrates the sustainability and continuity of EU-funded projects, where instead of placing a full stop, we place a comma and begin the development of another competency, in this case, sales. The competitions held over these days were a first attempt, and the program has fulfilled its task in this regard, though the work isn’t finished. We will do everything to turn these competitions into an annual tradition and aim to expand them beyond the three universities, bringing them to a national level.” Harri Lapalainen, LISS24 Project Senior Advisor: “I’m very happy to witness such progress in Armenia, especially related to B2B sales education and all the surrounding agreements. The key element is the concept of the sales competition, which was introduced here for the first time. This now creates a great opportunity for Armenian and Georgian universities to connect with the global community in this field. I believe this is a huge benefit for both students and faculty. Organizing a sales competition for the first time is no easy task, but many aspects were very well managed. Now, Armenia and Georgia will join forces, and we hope that they will also invite universities from EU Eastern Partnership countries. This is a valuable step forward for all involved.”

Working Visit to Armenia | Day 3: B2B Has Entered Universities: Polytechnic and Its Partners Are Training a New Generation of Sales Professionals

**Agenda of the Armenian work phase of the LISS24 Project Day 3: “Sales Laboratories” in Universities and Inter-University B2B Competition The third day of the event was hosted by the Armenian National Agrarian University. The discussions focused on the technical aspects of establishing “Sales Laboratories” at the participating universities of the LISS24 project: • The location, acquisition of equipment and software packages, • Features of implementation and integration of the laboratories into the academic process, • Involvement of specialists from the hardware and software provider company during the operation phase. Ruben Aghgashyan, NPUA coordinator of LISS24, reported that although the official deadline for the lab setup is November 2025, Polytechnic University is ready to launch this innovative lab as early as this September. The laboratory is essentially an "Emotion Measurement Tool." The equipment records changes in key emotional parameters of negotiators, such as anger, contempt, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise, and engagement. Special AI models analyze these and offer suggestions for improving the likelihood of success. Gor Martirosyan, Head of Work Package 3 of LISS24 at NPUA: “The launch of the B2B Sales Laboratory will contribute to the improvement of our university students' soft skills and significantly enhance their business communication and interaction capabilities. The two competitions held during these days were pilot in nature. The laboratory will help ensure more professional preparation of both lecturers and students for future competitions.” The second of the two competitions focused on B2B sales. It featured three students each from NPUA and NUACA, who, under the roleplay scenario, acted as sales professionals for EDUX, trying to pitch the company’s multi-field training products to Inecobank CJSC. The jury included representatives from both companies. Mariam Ghandilyan from Polytechnic University secured second place, while students from NUACA took the first and third spots. Notably, however, only one student- Arina Manukyan from Polytechnic, who didn’t place among the winners- received a concrete internship offer from specialists at Inecobank CJSC.

Working Visit to Armenia | Day 2: Expanding Innovation and B2B Sales Competencies and Student Competition

On the second day of the event, the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) served as the host institution. Since the launch of LISS24, the three participating Armenian universities, NPUA, NUACA, and ANAU have jointly designed and implemented pilot programs focused on generating innovative business ideas and enhancing B2B sales. These pilot initiatives mainly differed in the format of the internal competitions held at each university. Lida Aghajanyan, Responsible for subject-matters of academic affairs, NPUA: “These pilot programs will be refined and improved with the support of European partners. Armenian business organizations will also be involved to align the content with labor market demands. There is a prospect of integrating these programs as elective courses into the full curriculum at the Polytechnic University.” According to the project coordinator from Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS), Finland, it is almost impossible to learn these skills through lectures alone, practical application is essential, as well as the use of more innovative teaching methods. Arto Kuuluvainen, LISS24 Coordinator at TUAS, Finland: “We are building familiarity and trust with one another, which is also one of the fundamental elements of both B2B sales and innovation. Our goal is to transfer our knowledge and competencies to Armenian and Georgian universities, particularly in areas related to B2B sales and innovative skills. We also plan to establish sales laboratories in both Armenia and Georgia.” Lida Aghajanyan adds that the B2B laboratory currently being set up, with the equipment procurement process already completed, will also provide the opportunity to continue organizing competitions on a regular basis. Polytechnic University's Victories of the Day The most exciting, engaging, and inspiring part of Day 2 of the Armenian work phase of LISS24 was the inter-university student competition on innovative ideas. To ensure impartiality, the jury was composed of representatives from European and Georgian institutions as well as the universities' business partners. Polytechnic teams secured the top two positions. 1st Place – “Smart Cup” A smart cup designed to improve the quality of life for people with visual impairments. 2nd Place – “Braille Board” An innovative Bluetooth-enabled device that connects to smartphones and is designed for individuals with visual limitations. It allows users to input text and control essential functions without using the screen. 3rd Place was awarded to students from the Agrarian University for their “Track Tail” mobile app for pet care.