Fostering university networks and entrepreneurship education programs: the case of the EntRenew Project at Ideas UPV

Abstract

A pan-European network of universities connected with a common goal and involving both students and professors can be a strong catalyst for the professional, economic and social development of the university environment that positively affects not only the university itself but also the other agents or actors in its ecosystem. It is also widely recognized that training and education in entrepreneurship constitutes a solid strategic tool for regional development in which both public and private institutions around the world have made large investments over the past years. The European Project EntRenew in which the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia - Spain (UPV) participates from 2019 is working in facilitating the exchange, flow and co-creation of new knowledge, enabling professors to teach transdisciplinary studies through innovative methods and stimulate synergies between universities and entrepreneurial support systems throughout Europe. Ideas-UPV, the entrepreneurial service at UPV has a large experience of 30 years promoting entrepreneurship among students and professors. It also participates in different European projects establishing networks and future collaboration opportunities. The design of entrepreneurship education programs aimed at higher education students is also a core area of the service, not only addressing business plans but also the development of entrepreneurial skills. This work analyses the current results of the EntRenew program and how this and other initiatives of Ideas-UPV have had an impact on the creation of student entrepreneurial ecosystems, fostering cooperation between the actors and establishing connections to the university environments.