Akadēmiskais centrs
The mission of the project "HEI Innovation for Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship" (HIVE) is to increase the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of the project partners by networking and exchange of the best practices identified nationally and internationally, to scale up the commercialisation and introduce institutional change in higher education for impact by implementing a jointly developed Innovation vision action plan with a view to 2030.
The consortium of 7 higher education institutions and 2 important actors from the other side of the knowledge triangle was created to achieve systemic impact in higher education at institutional level, to increase the innovation and entrepreneurial capacities and to better integrate into and engage with innovation ecosystems: University of Latvia (Project leader, Latvia), TED University (Turkey), Czech University of Life Sciences (Czech Republic), University of Coimbra (Portugal), University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (Austria), ESSEC Business School (France), Rīga Stradiņš University (Latvia), Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bulgaria), and Coursera (USA). Thus, the consortium brings together all knowledge triangle components, represented by education, research and businesses.
A brief introduction to all HIVE project participants
University of Latvia, Latvia
Project leader – University of Latvia (UL) is the leading and most influential comprehensive university in Latvia. It has an important role in the development of the entire education system and the overall growth of the country’s economy. The UL has a crucial role in the development of society’s academic traditions, national economy, education, environment and health protection, Latvian language and culture. The opinion of UL substantially contributes to decision-making in public administration. The UL conducts research in more than 50 research areas, and scientists from the UL have significantly enhanced the competitiveness of the national economy and the improvement of the quality of life in society.
The University of Coimbra, Portugal
The University of Coimbra (UC) is a public and autonomous higher education institution comprising 10 research and education units. The UC has 38 centres of pure and applied research, where 1800 researchers create knowledge in several scientific fields. The UC acts as a major entrepreneurship booster in Portugal. UC Technology Transfer Office is dedicated to innovation management, communicating effectively with R&D centres, the private sector, and national and international clusters. The mission of UC Business is to transform the UC into an essential partner to the business sector, carrying out joint projects with different business structures (start-ups, spin-offs, SMEs, large companies and associations), within the multiple areas of knowledge of the UC. The UC is EIT Health KIC member.
Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia
Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is the leading academic research institution in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, rehabilitation and nursing sciences. The scientific activity is conducted by 4 institutes, 8 laboratories and research centres, and by professors at 8 faculties and their departments. The basis of research activity is the concentration of resources for the purpose of conducting outstanding, up-to-date, consistent with contemporary public needs, fundamental and applied research targeted at improving the quality of life, welfare, technology transfer and purposeful commercialisation of the acquired knowledge. The Technology Transfer Office was created in 2008. In 2018, the RSU joined the RIS in the area of health managed by the EIT Health. RSU serves as the EIT Health Hub in Latvia.
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bulgaria
Established in 1895, Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is an independent, non-governmental organisation for assistance, promotion, representation and protection of the business interests of its members, comprising more than 56 000 companies, contributing to the development of international economic cooperation and providing assistance for the European and international integration of the Republic of Bulgaria. The activity of the Chamber is based on the principles of voluntary membership, autonomy and self-financing.
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) with its 6 faculties, Institute of Education and Communication and business incubator, is one of the largest universities in the Czech Republic. It provides high-quality, diverse and accessible educational process (the fields include lifelong learning, virtual courses, internationalisation), and intensive cooperation with practice. Highly-developed forms of research interconnect with excellent and effective PhD studies. The CZU is working on innovation and entrepreneurial capacity at several levels. The CZU has a gender-balanced environment according to the EU requirements, established in the GEP and supported by HR Award.
The University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences (FHWN) is one of the country's top educational institutions with a specific focus on practice-oriented education, international networking and innovative research work. Due to the high standards in teaching and research, state-of-the art laboratory infrastructure and a determined focus on practical orientation with a continuous strive to develop, FHWN is considered as a designer and role model in the Austrian FH sector. From a wide range of study programmes to numerous opportunities for specialisation and applied research with direct practical relevance, FHWN sets standards and trains sought-after personalities.
TED University, Turkey
TED University (TEDU) was founded in 2009 by the Turkish Education Association (TED), which has been pioneering the development of education in Turkey since 1928. With an emphasis on liberal arts education, TEDU has currently more than 100 bilateral and Erasmus agreements with universities all around Europe. TEDU has research and project portfolio under 5 faculties. TED University is a member of the Euclid Network, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), UN-SDSN, and founding member of Impact Investing Advisory Board of Turkiye which is a member of Global Steering Group for Impact Investment. TEDUTECH (Technology Transfer Office of TEDU) is responsible for contracted research and IP commercialisation activities, and is also one of the Limited Partners of 500 Emerging Europe Venture Capital Fund.
ESSEC Business School, France
ESSEC Business School (ESSEC) is guided by the pursuit of academic excellence in teaching and research. Its distinctiveness stems from the pioneering spirit of the members of its community and its core values – humanism, responsibility, innovation and openness. ESSEC supports students in making their actions both meaningful and impactful, and seeks to enlighten the actions of businesses and organisations in a world transformed by the new industrial revolution, the environmental crisis, a new world balance and other major societal changes. The Social Innovation Chair was created in 2003, with the aim to train and sensitise students on the matters of social entrepreneurship.
Coursera, USA
Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with more than 100 million registered learners. Coursera partners with 275+ leading university and industry partners offer a broad catalogue of content and credentials. Institutions around the world use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in such fields as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021.
