EELISA Skill Up: Inspiring Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Join and co-create an academic ecosystem of researchers and educators that inspire innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaborative growth across the EELISA network.
Join us for the EELISA Skill Up at ZHAW, a dynamic week featuring two workshops: one on building research ecosystems for innovation (9-11.12.2024) and the other on introducing entrepreneurship into the classroom (11-13.12.2024). Choose to attend the entire week or individual sessions tailored to your interests, and engage in hands-on workshops, while also enjoying cultural excursions in the Zurich Region.
About
EELISA Skill Up: Inspiring Innovation & Entrepreneurship takes place from December 9-13, 2024 at ZHAW in Winterthur, Switzerland, and the Zurich Region. Organized for the EELISA European University Alliance, this dynamic week will bring together researchers, educators, and innovators to build sustainable ecosystems of innovation and entrepreneurship. The event features two key workshops, of which participants can attend either one or both:
- Building Research Ecosystems for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (December 9-11)
Workshop starts on Monday (Dec. 9) Morning and ends on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at Lunch Time - Train the Trainer: Sparking Entrepreneurial Thinking in the Classroom (December 11-13)
Workshops starts on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at Lunch Time and ends on Friday (Dec. 13) early afternoon.
Why Attend?
By attending EELISA Skill Up, you will:
- Enhance your professional skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, ecosystem-building, and teaching.
- Network and collaborate with researchers, educators, and professionals from across the EELISA Alliance’s 10 participating universities.
- Engage in hands-on learning through workshops and discussions, designed to equip you with actionable strategies for advancing innovation in research and teaching.
- Immerse yourself in Swiss culture with excursions and culinary experiences that add a unique cultural dimension to the event.
Covered Essentials & Provisions
Enjoy cultural excursions and Swiss cuisine, all covered by ZHAW. To make your experience seamless and enriching, all food, drinks, and cultural excursions are covered by ZHAW. Please refer to your universities for additional support for traveling expenses, etc.
Workshops
EELISA Skill Up focuses on building a strong ecosystem within the EELISA universities to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. By joining either one or both workshops, participants will gain the skills needed to enhance collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship research and inspire entrepreneurial and innovative thinking in the classroom. A detailed schedule will be communicated closer to the event.
Building Research Ecosystems for Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Empowering EELISA Knowledge Transfer – December 9-11
This workshop is designed to bring together researchers from across the EELISA European University Alliance to explore how we can build sustainable and impactful ecosystems for innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. Despite the increasing focus on ecosystems, there remains a limited understanding of how to create networks that are adaptable to different contexts, disciplines, and industries.
Through shared insights, working papers, and case studies, participants will engage in discussions to advance the development of an interconnected EELISA research community. The workshop will provide participants with actionable frameworks, tools, and strategies to collaborate on third-party funding proposals (such as Horizon Europe) and co-author interdisciplinary research papers, contributing to a thriving innovation ecosystem that spans the EELISA Alliance.
This opportunity is open to researchers from all levels - PhD students, PostDocs, lecturers, specialists, and professors - as we aim to foster collaboration across diverse fields, including engineering, business, biotechnology, social sciences as well as other research fields.
Christina Theodoraki is a Full Professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at Aix-Marseille University, France. A renowned expert in entrepreneurial ecosystems, her research focuses on innovation, technology transfer, and interorganizational strategies. As the editor of Small Business Economics and Associate Editor for various journals, Christina brings deep expertise in fostering sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems within universities and beyond.
Riccardo Fini is a Professor at the University of Bologna, where he coordinates the PhD program in management and directs the Entrepreneurship Hub at Bologna Business School. With visiting appointments at prestigious universities such as Imperial College London, his research focuses on entrepreneurship, science commercialization, and impact. A two-time recipient of the EU Marie Curie fellowship, Riccardo’s work has been published in leading academic journals and featured in major media outlets. He is also an associate editor for the Journal of Technology Transfer and the and CEO / co-founder of the tech spin-off Fieldrobotics.
Train the Trainer: Sparking Entrepreneurial Thinking in the Classroom – December 11-13
This introductory workshop is designed for university lecturers, professors, and educators from all disciplines, as well as administrative personnel in relevant positions, who are new to entrepreneurship teaching and eager to incorporate entrepreneurial thinking into their classroom and university as a whole.
Participants will explore practical approaches for integrating innovation and entrepreneurship into their teaching. Using case studies from successful university programs in Europe, Asia and South America, this workshop will provide insights into how educators can design and implement teaching strategies that foster entrepreneurial mindsets. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for incorporating these concepts into existing courses, including low-effort but high-impact activities that engage students and inspire them to pursue entrepreneurship.
Aard J. Groen is a Full Professor of Entrepreneurship & Valorization at the University of Groningen, where he also serves as Dean of Entrepreneurship, leading the development of UoG as entrepreneurial university. His expertise spans entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology management, with a focus on developing innovative business ventures in both startups and established companies. Aard’s research interests include high-tech and social entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and entrepreneurship support. He also leads Venturelab International Holding BV, supporting entrepreneurial development globally.
Olga Belousova is an expert in corporate entrepreneurship, with a focus on healthcare ventures and intrapreneurship. Dr. Belousova has extensive experience in international projects with universities across Europe and Latin America to develop innovation management and entrepreneurial curricula. She also serves as a trainer at VentureLab North and an advisory board member for the King Willem I Entrepreneurship Award.
Additional Information
Location & Venue
The ZHAW Proof-of-Concept Lab will be the hub for the EELISA Skill Up program. Located in the historic industrial area of Winterthur, this cutting-edge makerspace turns creativity and ideas into tangible innovation. It’s a space where the innovation community comes together to explore and realize radical new ideas.
Address: Lagerplatz 24, 8048 Winterthur, Switzerland
Travel & Accommodation
- As part of the program, meals and excursions for the participants are covered by ZHAW.
- For further assistance with travel expenses or additional support, participants should consult their home university.
- More detailed information will be shared soon.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Winterthur this December!
Contact Information
In case of questions please do not hesitate to contact the organizers directly:
Summarised information
Datum
Von: 9. Dezember 2024
Bis: 13. Dezember 2024
Ort
Proof of Concept Lab ZHAW
Lagerplatz 24
8400
Winterthur