Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A Connected Community Workshop in Barcelona: 18 September 2024

The Connected Community on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, led by Professor Miquel Oliver of Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona (UPF), recently conducted a two-day face-to-face session to establish its objectives and work plan for the year. The meeting was attended by 14 academics and staff from the entrepreneurship units from Ca Foscari University of Venice (UNIVE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA) and UPF.

The event began with a welcome address from UPF’s Vice-Rector for Internationalisation, Helena Ramalhinho, along with Rosette S’Jegers, coordinator of EUTOPIA MORE WP3 at the VUB, and Professor Miquel Oliver, who presented the workshop programme.

The discussion started with a reflection on the objectives of the Connected Community. Key topics such as the role of technology transfer, the necessary cultural change to promote entrepreneurship, and the different models for generating spin-offs and start-ups were deliberated. Henrique Domingos from NOVA emphasised that “start-ups should be focused on meeting the needs of clients and the market, as well as adopting a personalised perspective.”

A central aspect of the debate was enhancing researchers’ entrepreneurial vision to improve the knowledge transfer to the market.

“We must resist the notion of turning every researcher into an entrepreneur, even though most of them already are. It is about identifying those with an entrepreneurial mindset and equipping them with the necessary tools to promote their ideas.” Tuur Roels, VUB

The meeting concluded with a presentation by Aleix Martí on FLECSLAB, a project within the EUTOPIA framework that aims to develop Life Long Learning and one of its exemplary initiatives developed in Barcelone, which proposes new methods to bridge the digital divide among individuals over 60. The scheme has created content to assist this group in using the latest technologies and has organised a workshop to train them to identify misinformation online. A discussion followed on the project’s continuity. It addressed issues such as the importance of identifying the user, which includes not only seniors themselves but also public administrations that promote this type of activity. Furthermore, they examined the potential extension of the project to the European level.

The second day of the workshop began with Miquel Oliver presenting the main objectives of the Connected Community: Foster an interconnected entrepreneurial ecosystem within the EUTOPIA Alliance to accelerate innovation, enhance knowledge transfer, and valorise relevant research results to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving society and market.

Representatives from UPF, NOVA, UNIVE, and VUB presented their institutions' best practices in entrepreneurship and innovation, one after the other.

The day concluded with a discussion on the Connected Community's next steps. It was decided to draft a joint proactive white paper to establish the foundations of the Connected Community. The assistants also considered including it as a Lighthouse within EUTOPIA. In terms of coordination, they agreed to continue with monthly online meetings and consider the possibility of holding another face-to-face meeting later. Finally, they discussed reviewing European calls for proposals for entrepreneurship and innovation when available.

In summary, the day was very enriching, filled with the exchange of ideas and commitments for the community’s future development.

See the original article at the UPF.