Phase 2b of our IDEATION project successfully concluded in June 2024, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our project partners. As a result, the IDEATION project has achieved significant milestones and established a solid foundation for future projects and higher education institutions (HEIs).

IDEATION project Final Meeting_Tenerife June 21st, 2024

In the “Digital Access to Infrastructures” action, we focused on continuing the process of infrastructure sharing. This led to the registration of 71 new infrastructures on the SYNERGY platform, bringing the total to 308 new infrastructures since the project’s inception. These efforts have fostered strong and fruitful partnerships. Additionally, we conducted 5 new training sessions on Infrastructure Sharing and the Sharing Economy Model, resulting in 2 new infrastructure sharing agreements, making a total of 7 agreements since the project’s start.

The “Knowledge Triangle Network” action aimed to establish new partnerships and foster collaboration through Open Seminars and the registration of entities on a dedicated platform. In Phase 2b, we held 6 events with over 70 participants, forming new, strong partnerships. Overall, more than 250 students and non-academic staff have participated in and benefited from these seminars.

In the “Crowd Innovation” action, students were encouraged to develop innovative solutions to address Innovation Challenges. During Phase 2b, 7 challenges were published, and 10 solutions were submitted. Since the beginning of the project, 28 challenges and 35 solutions have been uploaded to the Synergy platform, contributing to innovation and business development in HEIs through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding.

The “Testing of Crowdfunding Opportunities” action aimed to familiarize participants with crowdfunding and crowd-investing mechanisms as a means of funding innovations. Since the project’s inception, we have conducted more than 6 crowdfunding training sessions and developed over 20 crowdfunding campaigns.

The “Pre-Incubation Program” in Action Five resulted in nearly 15 workshops and trained almost 160 participants. Throughout the project, 10 startups were supported and scaled up.

Demo Day for the Pre-Incubation Programme 2024 organized by our partner CRIT

Finally, the “International Open Innovation Training” action attracted over 200 participants. This program covered cutting-edge approaches, methods, and case studies in entrepreneurship, with a special emphasis on Open Science and Social Product Development.

In summary, our project has supported the scaling up of 10 new startups, provided training for nearly 1,000 students, including 299 academic staff members and 230 non-academic staff members through open seminars, pre-incubation programs, and the IOITs. Furthermore, infrastructure sharing activities have been improved and supported for more than 300 organizations and infrastructures registered on the Synergy platform.

Training Session at our partner https://pwr.edu.pl/en/

These activities, aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, have positively influenced participants, fostering favorable attitudes and practices. Through various initiatives such as training sessions, pre-incubation programs, and simulated games, HEIs have seen focused efforts to enhance innovation and entrepreneurial skills among students. Additionally, international cooperation has facilitated the development of a common set of tools supporting the entire IDEATION ecosystem.

Over the course of this journey, we’ve worked diligently to enhance innovation and entrepreneurial capacity in HEIs. Our collaborative efforts have yielded important insights and tools to help other HEIs embrace Open Innovation and foster entrepreneurship for the future.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in this project. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in bringing our vision to life.As we conclude this chapter, we remain hopeful that the resources and strategies developed through IDEATION will continue to inspire and support HEIs, driving forward the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Consortium Meeting in Frankfurt, December 2023