From Self-Assessment to Strategic Action: HEInnovate and tecnet equity Bring Higher Education Institutions Together in Lower Austria

📍 28 May 2026 | VIE Space Hub, Vienna International Airport

In 2026, HEInnovate and tecnet equity joined forces to deliver a workshop series for higher education institutions in Lower Austria, bringing together institutional leaders, innovation managers and technology transfer professionals to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation and spin-off processes across the region.

The series follows a three-phase structure: an online kick-off in March and a full-day onsite workshop in May, which will be followed-up with an online session planned for November 2026. The in-person workshop, held on 28 May at the VIE Space Hub in Vienna, brought together six representatives from five Lower Austrian institutions: Danube Private University (DPU), University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (FHWN), University of Applied Sciences Krems (IMC), University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten (USTP), and the University for Continuing Education Krems (UWK). 

Peer learning in the morning, action planning in the afternoon

The day opened with a results gallery, a visual landscape of all five institutions' self-assessment results displayed poster-style around the room. Participants moved between posters, placing coloured dots to highlight shared strengths and common challenges, and leaving reflections and questions for one another. Internationalisation emerged as the strongest shared dimension, while Organisational Capacity and Impact of the Entrepreneurial HEI were identified as areas for collective development.

Institutions then shared their "bright spots" - the practices they were proud of in dimensions where they had scored well. Participants then dived deeper into group discussions on Organisational Capacity and Impact. Each group worked through three rounds: understanding what drove their scores, identifying external barriers and regional conditions, and generating ideas and inspiration from peer practices.

The afternoon shifted from reflection to action. Each institution selected one or two dimensions to focus on and developed a concrete action plan using the HEInnovate Action Planning Board, working through Action Cards, generating activities, categorising them by timeframe, and assessing feasibility and quick wins. Teams then presented their plans to peers for structured feedback before clustering activities into work packages, mapping relevant stakeholders and proposing indicative timelines for action.

A regional community in the making

The workshop reinforced the value of HEInnovate not just as a self-assessment tool, but as a platform for peer learning and collaborative planning which can connect individual institutional efforts to a shared regional perspective. Participants expressed genuine appreciation for the format, and the action plans and work packages developed on the day provide a strong foundation for the progress-review phase planned for Workshop III in November.

📆 Stay tuned for more updates on the HEInnovate x tecnet equity workshop series.

📸 Explore the picture album from the day

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