Polis University: Established in 2006, Polis University is a leading higher education institution in Albania in the fields of architecture, planning and design, civil engineering, environmental science, computer science as well as entrepreneurship and innovation, adopting an interdisciplinary approach while preparing students for a rapidly changing labor market through the incorporation of practice-based learning in various curricula. As a young and emerging institution, Polis has strengthened its capacities over the years through numerous exchanges with international expertise in the field of higher education. Cooperating with European and international institutions through programmes ranging from Erasmus+ and Creative Europe to Horizon Europe, Polis has built long-term relationships with its collaboration partners, simultaneously enabling support and exchange of knowledge and capacities, thus spurring institutional growth. In collaboration with EU4Innovation in Albania, Polis has established Innovation Factory (IF), a design and technology lab operating both as a physical space (Makerspace where new designs can be prototyped and fabricated through 3D printing and scanning technologies) and an interdisciplinary unit linking the various study programmes not only among one another but also in the broader innovation ecosystem in Albania. Together with four other universities in Tirana, Polis University initiated Tirana Inc., an incubation and acceleration program for startups, which to date has completed one incubation cycle and has supported about 10 early-stage startups, leading two of them to enter the market. Polis University has grown into a leading ecosystem player in Albania, with an extensive network in both academia and entrepreneurship and know-how in design, digital fabrication and early-stage incubation on one hand and project management and coordination on the other.
