InnoChange: Driving Change, Capacity Building Towards Innovative, Entrepreneurial Universities

PLOVDIV UNIVERSITY PAISII HILENDARSKI TO TAKE PART IN A NEW EIT-FUNDED PROJECT FOR BOOSTING INNOVATION AND INTREPRENEURSHIP

We are happy to announce that Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski will be taking part in a new project called InnoChange: Driving Change, Capacity Building Towards Innovative, Entrepreneurial Universities. The project aims to increase the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity and attitude of HEIs and to strengthen and to better integrate into and engage with innovation ecosystems in the CEE region. The project brings together HEIs from various innovation backgrounds, from strong to modest. InnoChange will:

• develop and improve the entrepreneurial education curriculum and associated teacher training
• soak up and nurture innovation from all corners of student, faculty, and research activities at the university
• provide effective support to the deserving early-stage innovation projects
• build out a pragmatic, yet comprehensive network of multifaceted industry partnerships
• enable support structure for entrepreneurship community at HEIs by mutual learning

The project will receive funding from the EIT’s HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education. This new initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aims to boost the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs).

As part of this project, we will be working together with the following partners:

• Eötvös Lorand University, Hungary - project lead
• Babes-Bolyai University, Romania
• Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom
• Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Slovakia
• Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski
• Startup Wise Guys, Estonia

Under the EIT’s HEI Initiative, the project will receive funding of € 400 000 and will run until December 2021, with the possibility of getting extended for 18 more months.

Stay tuned for more information about this project in the coming months!

ABOUT THE EIT’S HEI INITIATIVE

The EIT’s HEI Initiative is a key objective for the EIT as part of its new strategy, the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021−2027. The initiative aims to support higher education institutions with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans complementing the needs of individual higher education institutions. As part of its Pilot Phase, the initiative has provided funding to 23 projects, with the next call for proposals expected towards the end of 2021.

ABOUT THE EIT

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, among leading companies, research labs and universities.