The UAB to take part in the ECIUE-Campus, a new project to turn student ideas into European ventures
The ECIU, the European allinace of which the UAB is member, will begin in September its E-Campus, which has secured 2 million euros in funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The campus aims to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship within European university alliances. The initiative, closely linked to ECIU activities, draws on the alliance's digital campus and challenge-based learning model to foster connections between education, research, and innovation at a European level.
The UAB will participate in the ECIU Entrepreneurial Campus (ECIU E-Campus), a project coordinated by the University of Trento that involves all member universities of the ECIU alliance and is set to begin in September 2026. The initiative was selected under the 2025 call for proposals of the EIT Higher Education Initiative with a budget of 2 million euros and a duration of two years.
The ECIU E-Campus builds on the established CBL model, which already enables students and stakeholders to co-create solutions to real-world challenges. The new project goes a step further by creating a structured pathway that allows ideas and solutions developed in this context to evolve into viable entrepreneurial initiatives. The goal is to identify, validate, and support proposals emerging from challenges, research activities, and student initiatives through a phased development process leading to incubation and real-world application. In this way, the aim is to increase the social and economic impact of the alliance's challenge-based learning.
To achieve this, the project will incorporate new training activities aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills and will roll out a specific pathway for creating innovative projects. Participating teams will receive support with validation processes and mentoring, as well as access to incubation programmes and business ecosystems.
The initiative aligns with EIT objectives and European Union strategic priorities, such as the digital transition, the European Green Deal, and the development of new skills. It will also foster collaboration among students, researchers, companies, and other innovation stakeholders from across Europe.
Key expected outcomes for 2028 include the creation of a consolidated business-creation system, support for international student teams during pre-incubation phases to facilitate their transition into startups, and the establishment of new partnerships with incubators, investors, and stakeholders within the European innovation ecosystem.
In addition to the UAB, the project involves the following full partners: the University of Trento (the project coordinator), Hamburg University of Technology, Linköping University, the University of Twente, Kaunas University of Technology, Lodz University of Technology, and the University of Aveiro. Associate universities and innovation support organisations from various European countries are also collaborating on the project.
The UAB, with Sustainable Development Goals
Quality education