The HIVE project aims to increase the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of project partners by networking and exchanging the best practices identified nationally and internationally. The project aims to scale up commercialisation and introduce institutional change in higher education through the implementation of a jointly developed Innovation Vision Action Plan with a view towards 2030.

The consortium of seven higher education institutions (HEIs) and two important actors from the other side of the knowledge triangle was created to achieve systemic impact in higher education at institutional level. The aim was to increase innovation and entrepreneurial capacities, and to better integrate into and engage with the following innovation ecosystems:

• Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bulgaria);
• Coursera (USA);
• Czech University of Life Sciences (Czech Republic);
• Essec Business School (France);
• Riga Stradins University (Latvia);
• Ted University (Turkey);
• The University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (Austria);
• University of Coimbra (Portugal);
• University of Latvia (lead partner) (Latvia).

Thus, the consortium brings together all knowledge triangle components of education, research and businesses.

The transnational collaboration is essential for increasing the innovation and entrepreneurial capacities of individual organisations, and boosting sustainable economic growth and competitiveness of partner countries. The project envisages multiplication of knowledge, understanding and advancement of the internal processes, as well as integration in the innovation ecosystems to: enable policies, regulations and accessibility of finance; raise the know-how of human resources; boost research; and sustain a supportive culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in general. Based on the experience exchanged and knowledge accumulated, HEI partners will develop:

• a roadmap for new supportive structures;
• a methodology for impact assessment;
• a network integration action plan;
• a handbook on technology transfer;
• an online training programme with blended learning options and adoption for curricula for the sustainability of the project.

The sustainability of the action is also ensured by bringing together different actors of the knowledge triangle in order to create a real difference and open up new possibilities for the project target groups and stakeholders. These include students, HEIs’ academic and non-academic staff, as well as start-ups. Partner mutual commitment will be followed by future projects, including joint commercialisation activities, research activities, operations management of the set structures, as well as by continuation of the training course.