ISEC Lisboa hosted, on March 11 and 12, 2026, the HEInnovate – Train the Trainers Programme (Spring 2026), a European initiative dedicated to empowering higher education institutions (HEIs) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
The event brought together 32 participants from various European institutions, including representatives from Ireland, Bulgaria, France, Lithuania, Romania, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Estonia, and Slovakia. Over the two days, work sessions focused on the exploration, implementation, and management of the HEInnovate tool, as well as the analysis of its impact on transforming the organizational culture of HEIs.
HEInnovate is a self-assessment tool developed by the European Commission that supports institutions in developing more innovative and entrepreneurial strategies, structured around seven key dimensions: leadership and governance, organizational capacity, teaching and learning, pathways to entrepreneurship, business-education partnerships, internationalization, and measuring impact.
Hosting this programme at ISEC Lisboa is particularly significant due to the leadership role the institution has been assuming in this field. Since April 2025, the President of ISEC Lisboa, Tânia Carraquico, has been part of the select group of HEInnovate international experts, being the sole Portuguese representative among the 21 experts selected from 19 European countries. This group was formed following a highly competitive process with 586 applications across Europe, selecting professionals with recognized experience in transforming higher education institutions, namely in academic leadership, policy development, university-business cooperation, and building innovation ecosystems.
As a member of this group, Tânia Carraquico contributes directly to the strategic development of the HEInnovate initiative in close coordination with the European Commission, supporting the growing community of institutions seeking to become more innovative and entrepreneurial.
During the programme held at ISEC Lisboa, the President of the institution was present as an expert, alongside the Director of Internationalization, Patrícia Pacheco, highlighting the strategic importance of these initiatives for strengthening internationalization, interdisciplinarity, and the quality of higher education.
This training was a relevant opportunity for knowledge sharing, networking, and skills development, serving as a starting point for each participating institution to structure its own self-assessment matrix aligned with HEInnovate principles.
By organizing this event and actively participating in the European expert network, ISEC Lisboa establishes itself as a leading agent in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education, contributing to the construction of a more dynamic, collaborative, and impact-oriented academic ecosystem.
