INNOVATEX - I3X - 15
AI-Driven Solutions to R3 Challenges across Sectors of Nutrition, Mobility, Housing, and Energy
Initiating Partner: UBB Student i-Lab
Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Initiating Partner Contact:
Professor and CEO of the UBB Student i-Lab, Catalina Crisan
Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) is the largest and most comprehensive university in Romania, recognized for excellence in research, innovation, and education across multiple disciplines. UBB hosts a vibrant academic community of over 40,000 students and 2,000 researchers, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and international partnerships. The university is actively engaged in regional development, sustainable innovation, and European research initiatives, making it an ideal environment for developing resilient and circular solutions. Website: https://www.ubbcluj.ro/ UBB Student i-Lab is an interdisciplinary incubator supporting student-led ventures and research projects, with expertise in entrepreneurship, digital innovation, sustainable business models, and circular economy practices. The Lab connects students, researchers, and local stakeholders to co-create solutions addressing societal challenges and fostering regional innovation. Website: https://incubator.econ.ubbcluj.ro/en/ AI Tutoring (AIT) is a learning tool that provides students access to the latest SMART3TS research and best practices in nutrition, energy, mobility, and housing. It supports learners in developing business concepts by continuously updating relevant information and offering research-based guidance to improve their business models. The system is also designed to deliver personalized feedback tailored to each user’s profile. Research Group / Unit UBB Student i-Lab – Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and Digital Innovation UBB Student i-Lab is a student incubator that serve Babeș-Bolyai students and operates at the intersection of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and digital innovation, bridging academic research with practical implementation. Through internationalization programs, incubator programs, mentoring sessions, and networking events, it supports the development of innovative ideas in four main domains: Nutrition and Health, Energy, Mobility, and Housing. The UBB Student i-Lab collaborates with international instructors and local partners (businesses, municipalities, NGOs) to provide students access to entrepreneurship education and practice, enabling entrepreneurship to address real-world challenges. It integrates perspectives from business model innovation, circular economy, digital tools, and community engagement. To enhance the learning process, an AI Tutoring (AIT) is being developed to enable students to learn, validate, and refine their concepts, contributing to regional innovation ecosystems and pilot initiatives.
What are the desired outcomes of I3X-15?
UBB Student i-Lab aims to develop scalable, student-led, and industry-supported innovations that enhance sustainability and resilience in entrepreneurship. This includes leveraging the AIT, developed by UBB, and designed to support students in the ideation, validation, and development of business concepts using the latest practices, research outputs, and SMAR3TS consortium knowledge.
Key objectives:
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Guide student business concepts toward the four domains to foster sustainable startups and entrepreneurial mindsets.
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Embed explicit knowledge from partners into the learning and experimentation process.
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Provide real-time feedback on business model coherence, sustainability integration, and impact potential.
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Enable students to apply AI and digital tools for concept validation, monitoring, traceability, and efficient logistics.
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Test innovative business models across Nutrition, Energy, Mobility, Housing, and Food Production.
What skills and capabilities (across disciplines) would be beneficial for I3X-15?
To move forward, several interdisciplinary gaps must be addressed. These include the translation of a socio-technical framework into robust digital architecture, the design of responsible AI that supports reflection rather than automation, and the development of interfaces that can accommodate diverse users and organisational contexts.
Secondees at UBB Student i-Lab could contribute to:
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System analysis;
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Design of pilots in the project areas to feed the AIT;
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Stakeholder coordination;
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Development of resilient business models for sustainable food systems.
Required skills, capabilities and disciplines:
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Sustainable food systems and nutrition (healthy diets, local sourcing);
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Circular economy and biomass valorization (food waste, side-stream utilization);
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Knowledge/Expertise in the areas of Mobility, Energy, Housing innovations; digital solutions (traceability, logistics optimization, predictive analytics); business model innovation and entrepreneurial approaches for sustainable regional systems; stakeholder engagement and ecosystem building (linking producers, municipalities; SMEs, academic partners); sustainability assessment (life-cycle analysis, carbon foot printing, resource efficiency); policy understanding (food safety, circular economy, climate adaptation).
Examples of Challenges that Need to be addressed within I3X-15?
Nutrition: Vulnerability of regional food systems to climate shocks, energy shortages, and supply-chain disruptions; high levels of food loss and underutilized side-streams; youth vulnerability and resilience challenges; fragmented value chains limiting efficiency and resilience.
Mobility: Overcrowding in urban areas; dependence on fragile transport and logistics networks susceptible to disruptions; limited integration of low-carbon, resilient, and digital mobility solutions; regulatory and market barriers to sustainable transport innovations.
Energy: Energy supply vulnerability affecting regional sustainability and operations; high reliance on fossil fuels, leading to carbon emissions and cost volatility; limited capacity to scale renewable, circular, and low-carbon energy solutions.
Housing: Inefficient resource use and high energy consumption in building stock; limited adoption of circular and sustainable construction practices; fragmented policies and coordination for energy-efficient and climate-resilient housing.
I3X-15 Alignment to R3 - Resilience, Restoration, Regeneration
Resilience
Youth development, strengthen engagement, local supply chains, and system capacity under disruptions.
Restoration
Reduce waste, energy consumption, emissions, and resource inefficiencies.
Regeneration
Build regional, circular, low-carbon systems supporting long-term nutrition, housing, mobility, and societal wellbeing.