Logo Regione Autonoma della Sardegna
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN SARDINIA
sardegnaricerche  ›  ...  ›  news & events  ›  news  ›  applix education and...

Applix Education and SME Instrument

Teen-ager using a tablet 
29.03.2016
Applix Education is a company with legal headquarter and one of its operational offices in Cagliari. The company boasts over 15 years’ experience in the field of education. Applix Education participated in the "SME instrument" of Horizon 2020 (deadline September 2015) with a project entitled "b-Smart - Smart integrated digital contents and educational platform", which was evaluated successfully and hence approved under Phase 1 of the "SME instrument". Thanks to this instrument, beneficiary companies receives EUR 50,000 of EU funding and the assistance of an expert made available by the European Commission to support the company through the stages of the project (with a duration of 6 months). We put to Mr Emanuele Putignano, CEO of Applix Education, some questions about the company’s activities and the path taken, thanks to the "SME Instrument".

What are the main activities of Applix and its network of contacts and collaborations?
Applix Education is one of the Applix Group companies and focuses on the field of digital education. Applix Education shares with the Applix Group part of technology development and product design activities, together with the network of contacts and international relations, in order to develop ad hoc solutions for specific markets, with a needs-based approach. Applix Education has long-term experience in the field of education and a wide network of contacts with school textbook publishers and extensive experience in the digital content publishing. We act as a link between publishers and schools.

Was the company already working on the activities addressed by the project when you submitted it? What is the idea behind them?
The project stems from the idea of internationalizing bSmart, the new digital school model of Applix Education, that replaces more traditional patterns. The bSmart platform is more than a mere service provider: it presents itself to the schools as an independent service provider, inviting editors to publish their materials directly on a single platform. The bSmart platform, the heart of the project, emphasizes the role of teachers. During the first years of activity, Applix Education operated as a service provider for publishers. Starting from 2013-2014, we decided to develop an in-house platform, becoming the intermediaries through which editors published their texts. After 6 months, following a large number of subscriptions to our service, we thought of a further step: turning the platform into a hub, a library of digital contents (lessons), as well as a virtual classroom in which teachers could create and display their contents.

Why did you decide to submit the project specifically under the SME instrument? Do you plan to follow the instrument’s path and to move on to Phase II of the SME instrument?
We decided to take part in the SME instrument with an idea in mind: the realization of a feasibility study that would allow an in-depth international market analysis. Applix Education is definitely interested in proceeding with Phase 2 of the instrument, to expand the test phase and move on to different case studies, and to help our innovative solution break into the European and international market.

Useful links
Applix Education