CEETNOVA International Multiplier Events: Knowledge Valorisation Ambassadors’ Reflections and the Next Step

Seeing how complex data can inform decisions is one thing; recognising where the same approaches could improve your own work is another. For the Knowledge Valorisation Ambassadors who gathered in Norrköping, the experience prompted reflections on both the tools universities use and the relationships they need to put research into practice.

The CEETNOVA International Visualization Multiplier Event, held on 9 June 2026 at Visualization Center C, combined talks, demonstrations and collaborative workshops involving participants from academia, industry and the public sector.

For Pilar Alvarez-Uría Tejero, Senior Innovation Coordinator at Linköping University and one of the event’s main organisers,

“seeing researchers, companies, municipalities, and international partners working side by side was one of IME's greatest achievements”.

Pilar Alvarez-Uría Tejero

Senior Innovation Coordinator, Linköping University

The next step is to follow up on the collaboration opportunities that emerged, with the aim of developing them into projects and lasting partnerships.

As the next CEETNOVA International Multiplier Event approaches in Kaunas this November, we look back at the Norrköping event through the experiences of two Knowledge Valorisation Ambassadors, Lorenzo Fedrizzi and Elisabeth E. S. Rongved.

Lorenzo Fedrizzi, from the Impact and Third Mission Office at the University of Trento, identified opportunities to improve how his institution communicates data and supports researchers. Elisabeth E. S. Rongved, Senior Communications Advisor at the Knowledge Centre for Education at the University of Stavanger, connected the experience to her work linking research, policy and practice.

From presenting numbers to supporting decisions

For Lorenzo Fedrizzi, the visualization approaches demonstrated in Norrköping prompted a comparison with familiar working practices. He explained that his institution relies heavily on spreadsheets and raw numbers to assess process quality and performance.

“The problem is that numbers alone can feel abstract, and it is often very difficult to “make a point” or drive action based on them.”

Lorenzo Fedrizzi

Impact and Third Mission Office, University of Trento

Seeing more advanced approaches led him to consider how dynamic visualization could support internal strategy and public communication. His interest was in how these tools could help people interpret information and act on it.

Elisabeth E. S. Rongved approached the topic as a non-specialist. Digital twins are not part of her work, and the event offered an opportunity to understand an unfamiliar concept: “It was a complete mystery to me before I came to Norrköping!”

Their responses show two different benefits of the programme: identifying a possible application within an institution and making a technical subject accessible to someone outside the field.

The ambassador’s role: working with different interests

For Elisabeth E. S. Rongved, the value of the event lay in the participants’ approach to working together:

“I get particularly enthusiastic when the traditional boundaries between the sectors are replaced by the willingness to listen, learn and collaborate, and this event definitely made that happen.”

Elisabeth E. S. Rongved

Senior Communications Advisor, Knowledge Centre for Education, University of Stavanger

Lorenzo Fedrizzi also valued bringing different perspectives into the same discussion, while recognising the difficulty of translating that exchange into a coordinated response.

“Of course, as we experienced during the multiplier event, aligning everyone’s different interests into a single, coordinated solution can be a challenge. But I guess that is exactly what being a Knowledge Valorization Ambassador is all about.”

For him, this role includes helping researchers consider what happens after publication and how their findings might be used. It also requires relationships beyond the university. Alongside exchanging practices in intellectual property management, technology transfer and negotiation, he particularly valued building direct contacts with industry.

Elisabeth E. S. Rongved connected this intermediary role to an existing responsibility at the Knowledge Centre for Education:

“Our ambition is to serve as a knowledge broker between research, policy makers and practitioners, and I am grateful to learn anything that contributes to this work.”

Her reflection gives knowledge valorisation a concrete setting: helping research inform the decisions and work of people outside academia.

Bringing the experience back to the university

When discussing institutional change, Elisabeth E. S. Rongved emphasised how it can develop through the people taking part:

“I believe in creating change through small steps and local initiatives, by the people involved.”

She saw particular value in involving University of Stavanger employees from different faculties and departments in CEETNOVA training. Her hope is that their participation will generate initiatives across the university, collectively strengthening innovation and entrepreneurial activity. She also identified the organisation of the Norrköping event itself as something to draw on in her own work.

Lorenzo Fedrizzi returned with ideas about his current responsibilities and how he could drive change in his working environment. His reflections centred on practical questions: how to communicate evidence more effectively, connect with industry and guide researchers towards opportunities to use their results.

Next stop: Kaunas

The next CEETNOVA International Multiplier Event, “Fostering Academic Entrepreneurship: From Research to Startups”, will take place at Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania on 18–19 November 2026. Continuing the ambassadors’ learning journey, it will focus on how universities and their staff can support the transition from research to entrepreneurial activity. Participants will exchange experiences and work together on challenges related to turning research into value, including opportunities for new ventures and startups. For more information about the upcoming event, please contact partners@ktu.lt

‍