HEI2MARKET partner, Marmara University organized and hosted IVAP- meeting of project partners of the significant HEI2MARKET project – Transforming Education into Innovation. The meeting was held in Istanbul at Marmara University, at NBUAM – Center for Nanotechnology & Biomaterials Research.

The HEI2MARKET project, with a total value of 1,340,000.00 euros, aims to transform higher education institutions into innovation centers by incorporating entrepreneurial curricula, encouraging technology transfer and supporting startups. Seven partners from six countries are participating in the project, including five higher education institutions and two business partners. HEI2MARKET is funded under the HORIZON Europe program.

University North is the project lead partner. At this meeting, representatives of the University North played a key role as coordinators and moderators of the meeting and the presentation of all activities and project goals, and on this occasion, project coordinators Martina Mak and Maja Đurđek explained in detail and presented the activities and goals of the first phase of project implementation, which lasts until the end of December 2025. In active discussions, all representatives presented their institutions and their work in more detail, and after a detailed introductory presentation of all project partners, a discussion was held on the topic of project results, goals and reporting. The key activities in this phase that all project partners within their institutions need to successfully implement are the implementation and implementation of the entrepreneurial curriculum for students, the implementation of the startup mentoring program for students and teaching/non-teaching staff, and the organization and implementation of the startup competition. In accordance with the above, the steps and activities implemented so far in terms of fulfilling these activities were discussed within the framework of this meeting, as well as further activities that need to be done in terms of fulfilling these activities.
The meeting was attended by representatives of all partner organizations who, in interactive discussions and workshops, exchanged their experiences, knowledge, previous activities and potential challenges they face in the implementation of the project.
In addition to the above, already implemented EIT HEI projects from Istanbul University and Özyeğin University were also presented with the aim of sharing lessons learned in the implementation of significant projects financed under this program, which will certainly help in the implementation of the HEI2MARKET project.

University North actively implements and coordinates this important project, which is carried out in a multicultural and multidisciplinary ecosystem.

As a reminder, the project consortium consists of the following partners – University  North, then University of Rzeszów Poland, Marmara Üniversitesi, Turkey, Oulun yliopisto Finland, Mother Teresa University in Skopje, North Macedonia, Optimizacija d.o.o., Croatia WECREATE LTD, Bulgaria.

The EIT Higher Education Initiative is a joint activity of the EIT community, which recognises higher education institutions (HEIs) as the pivotal actors in regional and European innovation ecosystems.

As the EU steps up efforts to close the innovation and talent gap, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is investing €63 million to strengthen the role of higher education in building a more innovative, resilient, and skilled Europe.

The funding, awarded under the EIT Higher Education Initiative’s Call for Proposals 2024, will support 47 cross-sector projects connecting 620 organisations in 46 countries to enhance their innovation capacity.

The EIT Higher Education Initiative is the only European instrument solely focused on boosting the innovation capacity of higher education institutions, empowering them to become the innovation leaders of tomorrow. It grants project partners access to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem. Of the 47 EIT Higher Education Initiative projects announced, 12 will also focus on Deep Tech and will directly support the Deep Tech Talent Initiative, the EIT’s flagship programme training 1 million deep tech talents by the end of 2025.

Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness said ‘When universities, research centres and businesses team up, ideas become real-world solutions. The EIT Higher Education Initiative has helped build closer links between academia and industry, driving innovation and growth. The results of this Call for Proposals are a show of confidence in Europe’s innovation capacity. These are the investments that keep Europe strong and competitive’

Stefan Dobrev, Chairperson of the EIT Governing Board said ‘The results delivered by the EIT Higher Education Initiative since its launch four years ago are impressive. This is the only European initiative dedicated to the earliest stages of the innovation lifecycle within higher education institutions. It is core to the EITs mission of linking academic excellence to impact for society and the economy. The achievements of the first 65 projects are a testament to the power of this approach. We are pleased to welcome the new project partners, including a record number of industry partners, to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem. We have no doubt that these new projects will deliver significant impact for Europe’

The new projects, which kicked off on 1st April 2025, bring together 620 organisations, of which 284 are HEIs, 186 are businesses, and 150 are other non-academic organisations, including research centres, public authorities, and associations. This Call introduces 193 new HEIs as full partners, raising the total number of funded HEIs to 501 since 2021, surpassing the original target of 500 participants by 2027 ahead of time.

A total of 130 consortia, bringing together 1 480 organisations from 55 countries applied to the 2024 call, which closed in December. Due to the high quality of applications, five more projects were funded than originally planned, bringing the total to 47 projects, each receiving up to €1 340 000. Each consortium includes full partners, who receive funding directly, and associated partners in a supporting role.

The strong number and quality of applications, along with the wide range of partners involved, show the growing momentum of the EIT Higher Education Initiative and its ability to connect industry and higher education institutions to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. More details on the selected projects can be found here.

https://eit-hei.eu/eit-awards-e63-million-to-boost-innovation-capacity-in-higher-education/