Is your Higher Education Institution prepared for future challenges?

HEInnovate is a self-reflection tool for Higher Education Institutions who wish to explore their innovative potential. It guides you through a process of identification, prioritisation and action planning in eight key areas. The self-assessment is available in all EU languages.

HEInnovate is not a benchmarking tool. It diagnoses areas of strength and weaknesss, opens up discussion on the entrepreneurial/innovative nature of your institution and allows you to compare and contrast evolution over time. You can have instant access to your results, learning materials and a pool of experts. HEInnovate can be used by all types of higher education institutions. It is free, confidential and open to anyone to use. Read more.

NEW: To further support Higher Education Institutions in their entrepreneurial development, seven profiles and corresponding sets of recommendations are now available for actions toward more innovative institutions! Read more

HEInnovate is an initiative of the European Commission launched in 2013 in partnership with the OECD. As a concept, it is embedded in numerous EU policy initiatives and funding programmes. Read more.

HEInnovate
in numbers
Total number of:
Self-assessments:34.4K
Higher Education Institutions:2.1K
Registered users:35.1K
Groups on the site:2.9K
Case studies and user stories

You can view and download case studies that showcase different institutional approaches and practices along the eight dimensions of HEInnovate,
and user stories about the experiences of various HEIs undertaking the HEInnovate assessment.

  • User stories

By Martin Bliemel Abstract: At the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), HEInnovate played a central role in developing a comprehensive innovation strategy. By combining self-assessment with collaborative workshops involving 38 participants across multiple divisions, UTS used the 56 action cards across all eight HEInnovate dimensions to identify over 450 data points relating to current strengths, immediate opportunities for development, and longer-term strategic priorities for UTS to maintain a comparative advantage as an innovative young university. The tool enabled a broad and inclusive...

  • Case studies

This comparative case study explores how three HEIs—Hibernia College, Ludwigsburg University of Education, and PH Lucerne—advance internationalisation through virtual mobility. They use initiatives like COIL, Blended Intensive Programs, and hybrid exchanges to enable global collaboration without travel, aligning with goals such as expanding access, building global competencies, and overcoming structural challenges. Through regional networks, partnerships, and digital tools, these institutions integrate virtual mobility into teaching and staff development to foster inclusivity and...

Members of the HEInnovate expert team

The expert group is an important driving force behind taking HEInnovate forward.
In this section you can read the profiles of our experts and contact them.

László is an economist who serves as an Associate Professor at ELTE Eötvös Loránd University's Institute of Education and as an associate editor for Tertiary Education and Management. His work centres on enhancing the strategic capabilities of higher...

Dr. Mona Roman is a Research Director at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland and a Lead Coordinator for U!REKA European University Alliance with 30 partners. She received her DSc. in Industrial Engineering and Management at...

Juliana Vassileva is an Associate Professor at New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia, where she teaches and researches entrepreneurship, innovation, competitiveness, digital transformation, and the application of AI in business. She holds a...

Thomas Crispeels is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and chair of the Brussels Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lab at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. His research centres on the role of academia in a modern, technology-driven society...

Jean-Michel Viola is the Director General and Dean at Mesos Business School, which operates in France, India, and the Philippines. He is a full professor teaching strategic management, entrepreneurship, and CSR at all levels. For ten years, he was an...

Dr Victoria Galan-Muros is a globally recognised expert in higher education policy, management, engagement, sustainability, and innovation. With a career spanning 50+ countries, she operates at the intersection of universities, businesses, and...

Ana-Cristina Nicolescu is Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at West University of Timișoara, Romania, responsible for quality assurance, institutional accreditations, certifications, and rankings, as well as a Full...

Dr. Marina Ranga is an international scholar in innovation studies, currently serving as Associate Professor of Innovation Management at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Management and as Manager of the Innovation Hub at the University of...

Charlotte Norrman currently serves as a senior associate professor at the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University (LiU). She began her career in entrepreneurship working at supporting organisations such as a chamber of...

María José Herrero Villa holds degrees in business and a PhD in Economics and Innovation Management from the Autonomous University of Madrid. She is the Head of the Innovation Ecosystem Development Unit at the Support Service for Entrepreneurship and...

Hannes Raffaseder is CEO/President of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and co-founder and President of E³UDRES², the Engaged and Entrepreneurial European University as Driver for European Smart and Sustainable Regions. In June 2023 he...

With a background in Law (University of Lisbon), a Master’s in Creative Industries Management (Portuguese Catholic University – Porto), and currently pursuing a PhD in Management with a focus on Strategy and Organisational Development (ISCTE-IUL), I...

Dr. ir. Peter Joore is professor of applied sciences and chair of the Open Innovation Research group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. NHL Stenden is founding partner of RUN-EU, an alliance of eight higher...

Bernhard Weber is the Managing Director of ZWI – Centre for Knowledge and Innovation Transfer GmbH (Unicorn Start-up & Innovation Hub) in Graz, Austria, a position he has held since 2016. He oversees the strategic direction, establishment, and...

Vilma Purienė is the Head of the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre at VILNIUS TECH. She has over 15 years of experience in research and innovation policy, as well as national and international project management. Additionally, she is the...

Marian Holienka is a professor of entrepreneurship and the Head of the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He supervises the undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship study programmes that he...

Manja Klemenčič researches, teaches, advises, and acts as a consultant in sociology and politics of higher education (HE), European HE, and various policy instruments in areas of student-centred learning and teaching, student representation, impact...

Dr Christophe Haunold leads the central office for partnerships, knowledge, and technology transfer at the University of Luxembourg. He is the immediate past president of ASTP, the foremost pan-European association for Knowledge Transfer. Until May...

Professor Ellen Hazelkorn is Professor Emeritus at TU Dublin, a Joint Editor of Policy Reviews in Higher Education, and a Joint Managing Partner at BH Associates education consultants in Ireland. She has collaborated with international organisations...

Inga Lapiņa is a Professor and Vice-Dean for Study at Riga Technical University (RTU). She holds a Doctorate in Economics and a Master of Science in Education. Inga has over 25 years of experience in strategic development and management within higher...

Professor Dr. Bernhard Kölmel is an expert in technology, digital transformation, and innovation management, focusing on converging technologies like cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT...

News and events

Read the latest HEInnovate news and see our upcoming events.
You can also sign up to our news and newsletter to receive notifications.

  • News

We are excited to share the first 2025 Activity Report of the Community for Educational Innovation (CEI) — a growing European community of practice hosted within HEInnovate. Launched to support innovation in and through education, the CEI brings together over 1,300 members from 92 countries...

  • News

On 10 June 2025, HEInnovate and tecnet.at . co-hosted the online workshop "Driving Transformation: Unlocking Institutional Innovation with HEInnovate" as part of the m-power net series. The event brought together around 20 participants from universities and research institutions across Lower Austria...

  • News

Barcelona, 3 July 2025 – Representatives from universities across Catalonia convened at StartUB! for a full-day workshop co-organised with HEInnovate. The session brought together members of the Catalan University Entrepreneurship Network (XEU), a collaborative platform of higher education...