About

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The actions and activities in TECH2X are designed to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship capacity at institutional level, fostering pathways between challenge-based innovation courses that are technology driven, and entrepreneurship capacity building to move forward promising projects. 

TECH2X also offers several initiatives to strengthen partnerships, aligning strategic interests to move deep-tech potential out of the laboratory and into an environment where it can be taken-up and applied by those most willing and capable of capturing its value.

Objectives

The primary target groups of this project are HEI teaching and research staff, students, and entrepreneurship support/KTO-TTO offices. Our objectives are:

  • Objective 1: design and deliver comprehensive education and training programs on (deep) tech-driven innovation for sustainable futures;
  • Objective 2: develop structures and conditions to facilitate innovation & entrepreneurship capacities;
  • Objective 3: establish and enhance mechanisms and structures within HEIs for people to create or develop their businesses / start-ups;
  • Objective 4: expand and enrich networks and ecosystem connections;
  • Objective 5: disseminate successes and scaling initiatives within our HEIs and wider partner networks.

Phase 1 (April – December 2025)

Timeline by objectives

Objective 1

  • Run 2 tech-driven innovation “lighthouse” courses at Esade and UNIBO that will serve as training examples for teams in Ankara (METU) and Mannheim (THM)
  • Develop 2 pilot tech-driven innovation courses in METU and THM based on the “lighthouse” examples

Objective 2

  • Define and start to implement common metrics for measuring competence acquisition

Objective 3

  • Develop project incubation phase as continuation to the tech-driven innovation courses
  • Develop training and mentoring activities for women entrepreneurs

Objective 4

  • Start to foster
    collaborations between KIC and non-KIC members for knowledge and good practices exchange
  • Establish new connections among HEls, research centres, and between ecosystems to reach industry actors

Objective 5

  • Success stories creation e.g. student projects, venture creation etc.

Phase 2 (January 2026 – April 2027)

Timeline by objectives

Objective 1

  • Deliver tech-driven innovation courses at all 4 HEls, including new methodology training at CERN IdeaSquare

Objective 2

  • Continue to implement common metrics for measuring competence acquisition
  • Develop best practices, Phase 2 (January 2026 – April 2027)

Objective 3

  • Continue incubation phase as continuation to the tech-driven innovation courses
  • Implementing training and mentoring activities for women entrepreneurs in all 4 HEls
  • Training for researchers on engaging with young entrepreneurs

Objective 4

  • Continue/expand collaborations between KIC and non-KIC members for knowledge and good practices exchange
  • Enhance connections among HEls, research centres, and between ecosystems to reach industry actors

Objective 5

  • Success stories creation e.g. student projects, venture creation etc.
  • Local/regional showcase events
  • National peer-learning events for KTOs.

Work Packages

1. Project Management

This work package will focus on project coordination, data management and mainstreaming ethics, gender and diversity considerations into our working framework for both phases of the project.

2. Education and training for deep-tech innovation capacity building

This work package aims to improve the quality of tech-driven innovation education at HEIs. Training composes: i) educational courses for university students where they develop their entrepreneurial mindset working on tech-driven innovation projects; ii) training for academics responsible for designing and/or teaching such courses, and iii) academic researchers who provide the technologies and work with the students on the innovation projects.

3. Support and development of deep-tech innovation and business 
ventures

This work package is designed to support HEIs in developing innovations and businesses in the field of deep-tech, through mentoring, coaching and training opportunities, as well as support for entrepreneurs seeking to incubate or accelerate their start-ups.

4. Ecosystem connection and partnership development

This work package focuses on fostering partnerships among HEIs, research centres, and business partners, including the KICs and other HEI Initiative projects. Its goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing, scaling up, and transferability within our ecosystem.

5. Quality improvement of innovation and entrepreneurship

This work package aims to enhance the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship education in HEIs, through establishing common metrics for measuring competence acquisition, best practices and guidelines. It will also focus on measuring our progression and capacity for scaling the initiative post project.

6.Communication and dissemination

This work package will focus on communication and dissemination, with the design, implementation of a communication strategy and the organization of events.