The new HEInnovate Expert Group brings together 21 professionals from 19 countries, selected for their expertise in driving innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education. Their insights and experience will help shape the next phase of institutional transformation across Europe and beyond. These experts have been selected for their deep...

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 education institutions from all regions of Europe, together forming a regional development-oriented...

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 founder of a start-up focused on promoting entrepreneurship, intellectual property management, and...

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 policymakers, shaping the future of higher education worldwide. As a leading policy analyst and researcher...

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, with an emphasis on early-stage technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship. Thomas teaches...

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 bring a multidisciplinary approach to leadership in higher education. My professional journey began...

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 Innovation at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Additionally, she serves as the technical...

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 Seville, under the European Universities alliance Ulysseus. She holds a PhD and a MSc in Science &...

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 helped design, develop, and implement. Additionally, he has co-developed and co-delivered several...

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 monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, regional innovation ecosystems and international...

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 education institutions. His PhD (2019) investigated how universities operate as learning...

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 Doctorate in Business Administration from NBU, a Master’s in Management Sciences from HEC Liège, and a...

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 associate professor at a triple-accredited business school, responsible for entrepreneurship...

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 education, as well as in research, quality assessment, and international project management, driven...

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 was elected President of EURASHE, the European Association for Applied Sciences in Higher Education...