Unlocking opportunities within the HEI Initiative
The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) participated on 19 June in the first workshop organized by the European EIT Higher Education Initiative, aimed at strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship capacity within participating higher education institutions.
This was the first in a series of workshops designed to support the implementation of Cohort 4 projects developed under the EIT HEI Initiative, led by the EIT and the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The workshops are intended to provide technical support focused on the most pressing implementation needs of the Innovation Vision Action Plans (IVAPs) across Cohort 4 consortia. Throughout the programme, key resources, training sessions, and strategic discussions with experts from the European innovation ecosystem will be offered.
Under the title “Unlocking Opportunities within the HEI Initiative,” the event aimed to provide participants with resources and opportunities developed by the Initiative team to help projects meet their goals and KPIs, foster collective learning, share experiences, and build an active community among cohort members. Participants also identified common challenges and opportunities for collaboration through practical working sessions.
The workshop began with a welcoming session and a presentation of the resources available through the EIT HEI Community of Practice.
Next, participants joined parallel thematic breakout rooms, where the most relevant IVAP actions per domain were discussed. These sessions were facilitated by innovation and entrepreneurship experts, who delivered short interventions before opening the floor to attendees. Additionally, two breakout rooms focused on research commercialization, a key topic for many of the ongoing projects.
The event concluded with a plenary session summarizing the key takeaways and shared insights. Among the main conclusions were:
- Test, test, and refine: theory alone is not enough; small-scale pilot projects help validate and adapt solutions.
- Co-create, don’t copy-paste: real impact comes from building tools with partners, not for them.
- Think in ecosystems: innovation thrives when connected to both local and European networks.
- Invest in people: mentors, TTO staff, researchers, and students are the real drivers of change.
- Design for sustainability: embed solutions in institutional strategies from day one.
- We continue learning, sharing, and co-creating—shaping the future of innovation through European cooperation.
About the EIT Higher Education Initiative
The Higher Education Initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT HEI) aims to drive the transformation of European universities by strengthening their role as key players in innovation ecosystems. Through the design and implementation of IVAPs, participating institutions build capabilities, create networks, and accelerate the impact of innovation across Europe.