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.

Guidance notes

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.

Country reviews

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.

Case Studies

You can view and download case studies that showcase different institutional approaches and good practices along the eight dimensions of HEInnovate.

User Stories

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.

Training manual

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.

Workshop guides

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.

Action cards

Concise cards summarising practical actions aligned with each HEInnovate dimension. Use them to spark discussions and identify priorities.

Planning templates

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

  • Case studies
Submitted on:
18 Sep 2015
Country:
Portugal

This case looks at how the Instituto Politécnico do Porto (IPP) used the HEInnovate tool as a platform for analysis and a stimulus for strategic change. This case examines the positioning of entrepreneurship at IPP and how the use of the HEInnovate dimensions to review institutional performance and inform the creation of a new strategy...

  • Case studies
Submitted on:
18 Sep 2015
Country:
Ireland

This case study describes the set-up and impact of ACE (Accelerating Campus Entrepreneurship), an Irish Government funded initiative which was created to embed entrepreneurship within the Irish HEI curriculum specifically to ‘create the entrepreneurial graduate’ for graduates of non-business disciplines.