The project Ideal aims to enhance the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by strengthening institutional frameworks, fostering partnerships, and equipping students and staff with the skills necessary to thrive in creative and cultural industries (CCIS). Based on the expertise brought by five partners – 4 HEIs and one private sector representative -, the project embodies innovation-driven practices into educational structures, with a view to establishing a long-term impact in entrepreneurship related fields. HEIs will act as catalysts for innovation by developing adequate entrepreneurship-support structures, engaging with stakeholders, and improving curricula. Ideal embeds an Innovation Vision Action Plan (IVAP), which serves as a reference Plan for systemic change, targeting several domains, thereby including: fostering institutional engagement, strengthening partnerships, supporting innovation and business development, enhancing entrepreneurial education, and sharing knowledge and success stories.

Key activities include upgrading HEI curricula with creative and entrepreneurial training programs, delivering mentoring, and supporting start-ups in high-impact areas of fashion, digital design, and media. These efforts will be complemented by establishing robust networks that connect HEIs with industry, research organizations, and societal stakeholders to promote knowledge exchange and cross-sector collaboration.

The project will deliver measurable results through a two-Phase approach, accordingly with the contents of the IVAP, also for the future activities to ensure its future impact. In Phase 1, it will focus on developing foundational tools setting up of operational Committees, training programs, and initial partnerships. Phase 2 will scale these efforts, increasing the number of trained participants, enhanced curricula, and supported start-ups. By the project’s end, the consortium will have, inter alia, supported 15 start-ups, trained over 800 participants, and established 20 long-term cooperation partnerships, ensuring alignment with EIT Knowledge Triangle Integration and regional priorities. After project completion, long-term impact will be also largely ensured by IVAP, which is designed to sustain specific accretive detailed actions building on the achievement of the project’s results. This will be achieved by embedding innovation and entrepreneurship into HEIs’ strategic frameworks, thus contributing to development of hubs of creativity and knowledge, fostering resilience and growth within CCIS.

Project coordinator

Elisabetta Cianfanelli, Professor, Università degli Studi di Firenze (contact)