Innovative and entrepreneurial higher education institutions: further development of heinnovate

HEInnovate is a joint initiative of the European Commission and OECD to support individual higher education institutions and higher education systems to assess and develop their innovative and entrepreneurial potential. HEInnovate provides a self-assessment tool for Higher Education Institutions who wish to explore their innovative and entrepreneurial potential. It guides users through a process of identification, prioritisation and action planning in eight key dimensions.

HEInnovate also identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses, opens up discussion and debate on the entrepreneurial/innovative nature of the respective institution and it allows to track evolution over time. The tool provides instant access to the results of the self-evaluation, learning materials and a community of users. So far, more than 1.800 HEIs have used the tool online and more than 30.000 assessments have been carried out.

The first version of the website was launched in November 2013. A 2.0 version was launched in June 2023 with updated statements and action cards to help HEIs design action plans as a follow-up to their self-assessments. HEInnovate is however more complex than just being an online tool.

It develops training materials and manages a group of experts to deliver workshops and trainings to Higher Education staff. It also collects user stories, proposes case studies and organises monthly webinars. HEInnovate therefore needs expertise in the field of entrepreneurship education and is the subject of constant improvements and developments.

After ten years of existence, it has developed its own corporate identity. The current contract for managing HEInnovate EAC-2020-0736 is due to terminate on 31/12/2024. A new contact must therefore be signed to ensure a smooth continuation.