Project description
Innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities in higher education
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is committed to enhancing higher education standards through the EIT HEI Initiative. However, there is uncertainty surrounding its future beyond the conclusion of a pilot phase in December 2023. As such, it’s necessary to plan for its continuation until 2027. The EIT-funded HEI Initiative project has a core mission of expanding the EIT’s reach and reinforcing innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities within higher education institutions. This initiative aspires to transform Europe’s higher education institutions into vibrant innovation hubs. Importantly, all EIT knowledge and innovation communities are actively participating in the project. The project offers details on the timeline, budget and expected impact for both current and upcoming funded cohorts, offering valuable insights into the life cycle and significance of individual projects.
Objective
Within Horizon Europe and included as one of the three specific objectives in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology's (EIT) Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) 2021-2027, the European Commission (EC) expects the EIT and the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) to raise the bar in higher education and create systemic impact by (i) strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) at institutional level, (ii) integrating HEIs in innovation ecosystems and (iii) enlarging the EIT KIC reach to engage EIT KIC partner and non-partner HEIs by launching the EIT HEI Initiative. The EIT HEI 2023-2024 proposal for the finalisation of its pilot phase provides an overview of how the HEI Initiative will build on progress so far with regards to its objective to boost innovation and entrepreneurship capacity building in European higher education and facilitate institutional change. While the future of the Initiative is still uncertain following the end of its pilot phase, it is crucial to have a clear vision, strategy and implementation plan in order to effectively finalise its pilot phase, and this document aims to provide that.
In order to achieve the objective of the proposal, the document outlines the vision, structure and implementation plan for the initiative-level coordination of the programme, indicating the parameters of involvement of all EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities in terms of their participation in Work Packages. It aims to provide an overview of the timeline, focus, budget, and desired impact of the HEI Initiative’s currently active cohorts 2 and 3, giving detailed insight into what an individual HEI Initiative project lifecycle looks like and why. All in all, the proposal underlines the significant potential of the HEI Initiative as a major player and force towards transforming European Higher Education Institutions into engines of innovation.
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-EIT-KIC - HORIZON EIT KIC ActionsCoordinator
10557 Berlin
Germany