User Stories

by Charlotte Norrman Abstract The ECIU (European University Alliance)¹ used the HEInnovate self-assessment to establish a shared understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship across its member universities. Coordinated by Charlotte Norrman from Linköping University, the process provided a common evidence base that informed a successful...

by Hernâni Barros Zão Corga Oliveira Abstract Within the EU GREEN Alliance, nine universities from nine countries1 used HEInnovate to build a shared approach to innovation and knowledge transfer. Each university completed the HEInnovate self-assessment and the results were discussed in an intensive workshop held during the Alliance's sustainability...

By María José Herrero-Villa Abstract Within the YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) Alliance¹, ten universities used HEInnovate to assess the Alliance's innovation and entrepreneurial capacity to develop a shared Innovation Action Plan. Drawing on the perspectives of students, work package teams and institutional coordinators, the...

Vilma Purienė, Head of the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) and Member of the HEInnovate Expert Group, shares how the self-assessment surfaced urgent challenges and priorities her institution hadn't previously identified, and became an ongoing tool for monitoring progress across the...

Charlotte Norrman , Senior Associate Professor, Department for Management and Engineering, Project management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Research and Innovation Support Division (FINA), ECIU@LiU (Linköping University, Sweden) and Member of the HEInnovate Expert Group, shares why HEInnovate is more than a diagnostic tool, and how it creates a...

Mona Roman, Research Director at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Coordinator of the U!REKA European University Alliance, shares how HEInnovate provided a shared framework to assess each partner's entrepreneurial and innovation capacity, and directly informed their EIT Higher Education Initiative proposal. 💬 Want to share how...

by Erëza Mehmeti Abstract: AAB College in Kosovo used the HEInnovate self-assessment to strengthen its institutional approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. After an initial low-participation attempt in 2024, the process was reframed following the Train the Trainers programme in Helsinki in September 2025. A structured relaunch, supported by...

by Natalia Nianchuk Abstract: Odessa National Economic University used HEInnovate as a university-wide development tool and within the U!Innovate project to strengthen its approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. After participating in the Train the Trainers session in Berlin in June 2025, the methodology was introduced internally through...

by Lidia Gryszkiewicz, Stephanie Kaudela-Baum, Piotr Kopyciński, Marek Oramus Abstract: Through the DISCO project, institutions from Poland, Switzerland, and Ukraine used HEInnovate as a shared reflection and action-planning tool to strengthen their innovation capacity in a complex and rapidly changing environment. By combining self-assessment...

by Tornike Bakakuri Abstract: Alte University used the HEInnovate self-assessment to identify strengths and gaps in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The process, endorsed by university leadership and involving key stakeholders across the institution, highlighted fragmented activity despite clear strategic ambitions. In response, Alte University...

By Stylianos Yiatros Abstract: The EUt+ Alliance used the HEInnovate self-assessment to understand institutional strengths, build a shared innovation vision, and shape the Inno-EUt+ project under the EIT HEI Initiative. By engaging academics, administrators, and students, the alliance developed evidence-based priorities, strengthened collaboration...

By Martin Bliemel Abstract: At the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), HEInnovate played a central role in developing a comprehensive innovation strategy. By combining self-assessment with collaborative workshops involving 38 participants across multiple divisions, UTS used the 56 action cards across all eight HEInnovate dimensions to identify...

by Juliana Vassileva Abstract: New Bulgarian University (NBU) used HEInnovate to evaluate and improve its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Involving students and faculty, the tool helped identify current activities, inspire new ideas, and encourage reflection. It boosted teamwork within the university, project-based additional initiatives and connections...

by Mercedes Pérez Millán Abstract: The Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Universidad Loyola is using the HEInnovate self-assessment and action cards to improve awareness at the university about their activities, find new ways of measuring impact, and build an Entrepreneurship Committee. What is your role, and how does your institution support...

by Ana Teresa Martins Ferreira de Oliveira Abstract: The Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo in Portugal is using the connections created through HEInnovate to forge international networks and bring Europe to the rural region where the university is located. What is your role, and what is the context of your institution? I, Dr. Ana Teresa...