The main objectives of the INRS project were to reinforce and enhance knowledge transfer between academia and business in European Union (EU) countries and to enable HEIs to provide increased and specialist information support to Research, Business and Innovation in the EU and in the regions that they serve. The project aimed to develop an Information Specialist (IS) staff development strategy focused on improving the standards, range and quality of library performance in providing support to business, entrepreneurship, innovation and research in the EU with particular focus on improving key transferable, lifelong learning skills. The project aimed to improve the relevance of higher-level skills provision to Society and to the economy in the Regions and expand Information Specialist engagement with employers and business for the development of key transferable skills in the Regions that are critical for business, research and innovation. The project aimed for an enhancement in quality of teaching and learning in the EU, hence it was vital that the project was carried out transnationally. INRS increased participation in education, training and the labour market to significantly expand skills supply to our stakeholders.
We applied for this project with the aim of reinforcing and enhancing knowledge transfer between academia and business in European Union (EU) countries and to enable HEI's to provide increased and specialist information support to Research, Business and Innovation in the EU and in the regions that they serve. This was achieved by improving and increasing the level of competencies & skills of Information Specialist staff in the EU partner institutions in the project. INRS enhanced and built on the skills of staff in these universities, so as to strengthen their abilities to provide quality, relevant supports to business, researchers and local enterprise in the Regions. The project has addressed the need to improve the relevance of higher-level skills provision to Society and to the economy in the Regions. INRS has addressed the most critical training needs of 21st century Information Specialist staff in the Information Age to enhance their library skills in the area of business, research and innovation. This has been achieved through the creation of the INRS Modular Curriculum featuring a complete range of modern Information Specialist, Information Literacy and other key transferable skills need for enterprise.