Aalto University and IDBM-coordinated C-ACCELERATE project has been selected in the EIT HEI Initiative to unlock innovation potential in Europe's higher education.

The C-Accelerate project aims to accelerate the role of creative communities through the exploration of entrepreneurial education and radical creativity within European education.

The full partners for this project include four partner universities that form the FILM-EU Alliance[1]: COFAC /Lusófona University, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Tallinn University, LUCA School of Arts, and one non-academic organization in Aalto Entrepreneurship Society ry.

The funding for this project, spread over two phases, will be €1,2 Million and the total duration of the project is two years (July 2022 – June 2024). At Aalto, this project will be led by the IDBM program (School of Business) and supported by the Aalto Design Factory (School of Engineering). Associated partners from Finland within this project include the City of Helsinki (NewCo Helsinki Unit), the Finnish Venture Capital Association (Pääomasijoittajat ry), and Kiuas Ventures Oy.

“We’re excited to lead and coordinate this consortium, and we believe that this initiative will allow us to scale up our educational offering, while simultaneously exploring new, innovative angles within the field of experiential entrepreneurial education. For example, through the empowerment of student-driven entrepreneurial activities such as those led by our partner, Aalto Entrepreneurship Society (Aaltoes)” said Apurva Ganoo, Doctoral Candidate at Aalto University and C-Accelerate Consortium member.

“We believe that this initiative will allow us to scale up our educational offering, while simultaneously exploring new, innovative angles within the field of experiential entrepreneurial education."

- Apurva Ganoo, Doctoral Candidate at Aalto University and C-Accelerate Consortium member

“This project represents a unique opportunity for us, as IDBM, to explore and establish the role of radical creativity within management education,” said Dr. Ville Eloranta, IDBM Program Director and Principal Investigator (PI) of C-Accelerate Consortium. "Moreover, it will allow us to look at how the experience-based, entrepreneurial learning models that we utilize within IDBM apply in different creative industry contexts," he added.

“This project will allow us to look at how the experience-based, entrepreneurial learning models that we utilize within IDBM apply in different creative industry contexts."

- Dr. Ville Eloranta, IDBM Program Director and Principal Investigator (PI) of C-Accelerate Consortium

Information about the EIT Call can be accessed from: https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/294-partners-join-eit-unlock-innovation-potential-europes-higher-education

For additional information, contact Apurva Ganoo (apurva.ganoo@aalto.fi).

[1] The FILM-EU Alliance has the objective of jointly promoting high-level education, innovation, and research activities in the multidisciplinary field of Film and Media Arts and, through this collaboration, consolidate the central role of Europe as a world leader in the creative fields (https://www.filmeu.eu/alliance/about-us).