Understand HEInnovate & the 8 Dimensions
Get an overview of the HEInnovate framework and its eight dimensions. These resources help you grasp the core principles of HEInnovate and provide clear explanations of each dimension.
Each statement in the self-assessment has a corresponding guidance note. These notes explain what the statement is looking at and provide examples of how institutions can address it.
These reports analyse the higher education system of a specific country through the lens of the HEInnovate framework. They were conducted by the OECD in partnership with the European Commission between 2015 and 2021.
Get inspired by other HEIs
Learn from the experiences of higher education institutions across Europe. Explore case studies that showcase diverse practices and provide inspiration across the eight HEInnovate dimensions. Find testimonials that illustrate how institutions are using HEInnovate in practice. Discover real-life lessons and outcomes.
You can view and download case studies that showcase different institutional approaches and good practices along the eight dimensions of HEInnovate.
Read about the different uses and experiences of higher education institutions using the HEinnovate framework. The user stories also highlight lessons learnt and results achieved.
Implement HEInnovate in your institution
Support for you and your institution to work with the HEInnovate framework in a structured, collaborative way. Workshop Guides and Training Materials help you plan, deliver, and follow up on workshops of all sizes.
A comprehensive guide to HEInnovate. It explains the features of the website, how to set up groups, and describes three types of workshops you can run.
Short chapters from the Training Manual with focused advice on how to run different types of workshops, set the agenda, and decide whom to invite.
Turn insights into action
Transform your HEInnovate results into practical next steps. These tools help institutions prioritise actions, engage teams, and move from assessment to implementation, to ensure continuous, meaningful improvement.
Concise cards summarising practical actions aligned with each HEInnovate dimension. Use them to spark discussions and identify priorities.
Visual tools and worksheets to document goals, map short- to long-term actions, and organise activities into work packages. Includes the Action Planning Board, Work Package Planning Board, and Action Sheet.
All resources
These cards will help you translate your self-assessment results into actionable programmes. You can download the cards and explore your entrepreneurial profile.
The University of Bayreuth pursues a clear regional transfer strategy: it sees itself as an innovation driver for the Upper Franconia region and is establishing a highly networked innovation ecosystem between the university, companies, research institutions, and societal stakeholders. The focus is on the transfer of knowledge, ideas, and technology...
By Stylianos Yiatros Abstract: The EUt+ Alliance used the HEInnovate self-assessment to understand institutional strengths, build a shared innovation vision, and shape the Inno-EUt+ project under the EIT HEI Initiative. By engaging academics, administrators, and students, the alliance developed evidence-based priorities, strengthened collaboration...
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...
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...
Linköping University (LiU), a young higher education institution in southern Sweden, has systematically built capacity for entrepreneurship and innovation. The University’s organisation as such is deliberately interdisciplinary in order to foster innovation: twelve Departments offer research and education to all of the University’s four Faculties...
by Juliana Vassileva Abstract: New Bulgarian University (NBU) used HEInnovate to evaluate and improve its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Involving students and faculty, the tool helped identify current activities, inspire new ideas, and encourage reflection. It boosted teamwork within the university, project-based additional initiatives and connections...
This case study provides an update on the approach to entrepreneurship and innovation taken by the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)1, representing the status at the end of 2024. The original case study, was written in 2015. Since then, KTU has developed its entrepreneurial profile and approach further. It developed its curricular teaching of...
Entrepreneurship is part of the mission of the University of Bologna (UNIBO), and the University also seeks to develop entrepreneurship education. Until March 2024, UNIBO coordinated the project Educators for Impact, funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. The project aimed to empower educators and students to solve societal...
by Mercedes Pérez Millán Abstract: The Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Universidad Loyola is using the HEInnovate self-assessment and action cards to improve awareness at the university about their activities, find new ways of measuring impact, and build an Entrepreneurship Committee. What is your role, and how does your institution support...
by Ana Teresa Martins Ferreira de Oliveira Abstract: The Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo in Portugal is using the connections created through HEInnovate to forge international networks and bring Europe to the rural region where the university is located. What is your role, and what is the context of your institution? I, Dr. Ana Teresa...
by Paolo Bertolero Abstract: Staff at the University of Turin (UNITO) in Italy are using results from their HEInnovate self-assessment to make a case to their University board about the need for amplified attention and resources in order to provide a designated meeting place and increase student awareness and staff support for their 2030 Academy...
by Marisol Rico-Cortez Abstract: Professor Marisol Rico-Cortez at Jönköping University in Sweden is using her experience at HEInnovate workshops to co-create an international network of stakeholders using HEInnovate and encourage management at her institution to interact with the self-assessment tool. Could you share more about your background and...
By Prof. Dr Radmil Polenakovikj Abstract: At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, the HEInnovate self-assessment tool has proven to be a very practical and insightful resource. It has been used both for our own institutional assessment and to support other HEIs through international projects such as...
by Sebastian-Aurelian Ștefănigă Abstract: The West University of Timisoara in Romania is using HEInnovate as part of their mission to become a more entrepreneurial institution, taking inspiration from the self-assessment, webinars, and training sessions. How does the West University of Timisoara foster entrepreneurship at an institutional level...