In order for the European Union to be successful in implementing and expanding open innovation as one of the main driver of its socio-economic growth higher education institutions (HEI) must be able to produce independent, creative, entrepreneurial individuals, who understand inter- and multidisciplinary challenges of the socio-economic environment and as a result can contribute to open innovation. HEIs also have to develop action learning methods that bring the social/economic problems into the classroom along with the relevant stakeholders to facilitate co-learning and co-creation between students, professors and the stakeholders (businesses, policy makers, society) with a particular problem. Students and academics have to learn, perform research and co-create with busniess as well as with governmental and the society in accordance with the open university concept and the Triple Helix model. EU’s success in the global competition is also heavily dependent on the ability of the economy to produce innovative enterprises with high growth potential that can give stimulus to the actors of the socio-economic environment; can stabilize the labour market; can strengthen the small and medium size enterprise sector and can creatively work with the HEIs. Creating a common framework and a unified entrepreneurial ecosystem across the EU that includes HEIs as the engine of open innovation, inequality among the regions of the EU can be decreased.
The key innovation of this projects resides in establishing a cutting-edge framework for boosting entrepreneurial skill competence and open innovation through the triple helix model by engaging also society which leads, in various extents, to piloting a quadruple (university, industry government, society) helix model in Europe, where open innovation, co-creation and co-learning are key enablers of economic growth and shaping of new enterprises. This innovative aspect of the project is further strengthened by the fact that NCSU with a long standing experience and practice in the area of entrepreneurial university is part of the consortium which will allow for significant spillover effect from oversees to occur and also the establishment of a cross continent entrepreneurial ecosystem will secure sustainability of the network created.
