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Project title | U!Innovate to accelerate the European path to Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
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Reference number | 250020 |
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Implementation period | 01.04.2025-30.04.2027 |
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Budget | 539913,75(phase 1)
1338510 (total) |
PROJECT SUMMARY
The future of European competitiveness requires higher education institutes (HEIs) to develop linkages with businesses and establish incentives for researchers to become entrepreneurs, as stated in the recent report by Mario Draghi. Climate change requires moreover our urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The calls for competitiveness and for climate-neutrality lays the grand motivation for U!Innovate project.
The project vision is to boost European competitiveness in the domain of climate-neutral and smart cities through strengthening entrepreneurial and innovation competences at HEIs to become true entrepreneurial universities. It is anticipated that through participation in the in the HEI Initiative and implementation of the Innovation Vision Action Plan (IVAP), project participants will be recognized in 2030 for excellence in:
- Educating, training and mentoring future entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs for the creation of new start ups and transforming business models within established companies
- Engaging and incentivising staff and students to commercialise and upscale their innovative ideas into businesses, particularly those contributing to climate neutrality
- Supporting partners from public sector to achieve the goals for climate-neutral and smart cities.
The aim is to create new synergies among the wide diversity of local ecosystems and geographical locations in alliance through setting up a joint hybrid inter-regional incubator. The U!Innovate partners from Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal and Ukraine are members of U!REKA European University. Together we aim to accelerate European path to climate neutrality. The U!REKA alliance facilitates collaboration of HEIs and their local cities and regions to develop at least 500 new solutions to climate-neutrality challenges by 2027. U!Innovate is to strengthen partnerships, especially with SMEs to develop innovations and with large corporations to fund and take advantage of them, which is crucial for cities and regions in their path to climate neutrality. U!Innovate supports partners to develop joint entrepreneurship and innovation services and institutional capabilities, required to commercialise, scale up and replicate the 500 new solutions and beyond.
PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT:
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy, Metropolia), established in Myllypurontie 1, 00920 Helsinki, Finland, the Coordinator
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Stichting Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Amsterdam UAS), established in Wibautstraat 3B, 1091 GH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
BIA Hubs GmbH (BIA), established in Borsigstr. 15A, 10115, Berlin, Germany,
CLIC Innovation Oy (CLIC), established in Eteläranta 10, 00131 Helsinki, Finland,
European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education (EURASHE), established in Ravensteingalerij 27/3, 1000 Brussels, Belgium,
Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS, established in Nibelungenplatz 1, 60318, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,
GERMANTECH Operations GmbH (GERMANTECH), established in Luckenwalder Str. 6b, 10963, Berlin, Germany,
HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Hogeschool Gent, HOGENT), established in Geraard De Duivelstraat 5, 9000 Gent, Belgium,
Polytechnic University of Lisbon (Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, IPL), established in Estrada de Benfica 529, 1500-085 Lisboa, Portugal,
Odessa National Economic University (Одеський національний економічний університет, ONEU), established in Preobrazhenska str. 8, 65082, Odessa, Ukraine,
VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (VSB), established in 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic,
CONTACTS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATOR:
Oleksandr Litvinov, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Vice-Rector.
ONEU explores its innovation potential within the U! Innovate project!
On September 29, 2025, as part of the international project #U! Innovate «Accelerating the European Pathway to Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities», a workshop was held at Odesa National Economic University (ONEU) on the topic «HEInnovate — a self-assessment tool for exploring the innovation potential of a university.» The event took place in a hybrid format and brought together more then 100 students, faculty members, and administrative staff of ONEU.
The workshop speaker, Nataliia Nianchuk, Associate Professor at the Department of Banking at ONEU, presented the #HEInnovate tool, which enables universities to evaluate their own innovation potential and identify directions for further development.
In addition to the practical work with the self-assessment tool, Nataliia Nianchuk also introduced participants to the activities of the #U! REKA (Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance) and the opportunities that participation in the #U! Innovate project opens for #ONEU.
The workshop sparked great interest: students actively participated in discussions, raising questions about the practical application of #HEInnovate for the university’s development, while faculty members emphasized the importance of the methodology for strategic planning and the integration of innovative approaches into the educational process.
The event became another step for #ONEU toward strengthening innovation and international cooperation, while also confirming the university community’s readiness to actively contribute to the creation of #climate-neutral and #smartcities of the future.
