The LEAPXR project (Linking Education and Applied Practice for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in eXtended Reality) aims to position applied European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as engines of innovation, tackling pressing challenges in healthcare and fostering regional and global economic growth. By harnessing the transformative potential of Extended Reality (XR) technologies, the project addresses critical societal needs such as aging populations, healthcare disparities, and regional innovation gaps, while fostering inclusivity and advancing gender equity in tech-driven entrepreneurship.

At its core, LEAPXR integrates entrepreneurship into applied education and research, creating pathways for innovation that extend beyond institutional and regional boundaries. Through its Innovation Vision Action Plan (IVAP), the project equips students, staff, and industry partners with entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to co-create impactful solutions in healthcare and technology. The LEAP Women in Entrepreneurship Programme further strengthens this vision, empowering women to lead in fields like XR and deep tech.

LEAPXR’s ambitious objectives include:

1. Establishing an inclusive entrepreneurship framework, integrating best practices and fostering systemic change across HEIs.
2. Developing a European XR innovation hub to support startups and scale-ups, generating impactful solutions and creating sustainable employment.
3. Creating state-of-the-art XR infrastructures to advance applied research and strengthen academic-industry collaboration.
4. Translating proven entrepreneurial models from EIT initiatives into real-world training programs.
5. Disseminating success stories and best practices to inspire innovation and expand regional impact.

During the project’s lifetime, LEAPXR aims to support 25 start-ups, create two Health(Tech) startups, train 1,000 students and 330 staff, establish 12 partnerships focusing on RIS countries, and develop 6 structures for systemic entrepreneurship and innovation.

Sustainable Impact and Collaboration: Anchored within the E³UDRES² European University Alliance and aligned with the missions of EIT Health, EIT Digital, and EIT Culture & Creativity, LEAPXR is building a resilient European innovation ecosystem. Business partners Accent and WTC play pivotal roles in ensuring this ecosystem’s success. Accent provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and tailored entrepreneurial support, empowering startups to navigate their journey from concept to commercialization. WTC, on the other hand, facilitates international trade opportunities and market access through trade missions, workshops, and strategic partnerships, enabling startups to scale and thrive in global markets.

Sustainable partnerships, open educational resources, mentorship frameworks, and scalable solutions ensure LEAPXR’s long-term impact across diverse regions and positions Europe as a global leader in XR-driven innovation.

Project coordinator

Vera De Ruiter, Saxion University of Applied Sciences (contact)