Entrepreneurial education and innovation: how educational institutions drive talent, knowledge transfer and real-world projects

On 26 June 2026, the ONE Platform held the webinar "Entrepreneurial education and innovation: how educational institutions drive talent, knowledge transfer and real-world projects", a session designed to offer you a clear, structured and actionable view of how universities and educational centres can become engines of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The session featured Verónica Jiménez, Director of Professional Development and Entrepreneurship at ESIC University, and Salvador Suárez, co-founder & partner at Good Rebels, mentor, investor and expert in marketing and artificial intelligence. Both shared their experience from two complementary perspectives: that of the academic institution evolving towards an experiential model, and that of the company working with universities, startups and organisations to create new ways of learning and innovating.

The session was structured into two blocks: a first part focused on how educational institutions foster entrepreneurial talent and knowledge transfer, and a second devoted to open innovation and building organisational cultures geared towards change.

From traditional education to experiential learning

The session’s first major message was an invitation to understand entrepreneurial education not as just another subject, but as a cross-cutting approach that runs through the entire learning experience. Verónica Jiménez pointed out that educational institutions are currently going through a period of transition in which “education can no longer be limited to transmitting knowledge, but must prepare talent to face real challenges in changing environments”.

In this context, she recalled that experiential learning has become established as one of the most effective methodologies for developing entrepreneurial skills, since it makes it possible to combine the acquisition of knowledge with practical application in real contexts. As she herself said: "If you don’t take students, with that change in mindset, to solve real problems, that change in mindset will never become tangible."

And she summed it up with a powerful idea: "Creating a startup is the master’s degree of life; it gives you a 360-degree view of business that you couldn’t get in any other way."

The role of educational institutions in innovation ecosystems

During this section, the idea was conveyed that universities and educational centres are not just providers of talent, but active players within innovation ecosystems. In this regard, it was highlighted that “educational institutions are in a privileged position to connect knowledge, business and society, provided they equip themselves with the right structures and methodologies to do so”.

Verónica Jiménez stressed that this approach is directly linked to employability: "What corporations want is people who are resilient, people who can adapt to change, people who will knock on the door and are not afraid to put forward ideas."

Methodologies for developing entrepreneurial skills

On a more operational level, the session reviewed some of the most effective methodologies for developing entrepreneurial skills within the academic environment. Challenge-based learning, collaborative projects with companies and university entrepreneurship programmes emerged as key tools for bringing market reality into the classroom.

Verónica Jiménez presented a practical case in which she outlined real challenges developed together with corporations such as Fundación Telefónica and integrated into the curriculum: "It is not a standalone subject, but different subjects in the same semester that are linked to solving them", even involving human resources so they can observe students in action and assess their employability.

Work that translates into figures: in the 2024/25 academic year alone, ESIC Emprendedores generated more than 350 mentored projects.

Open innovation as a value-creation model

In the second block, Salvador Suárez took over with his view of the current technological moment. For him, "in the business world, innovation is something that creates value", and we are facing a change of era: "This new artificial intelligence environment is no longer about digitalisation."

He spoke about the convergence of technologies and the arrival of agentic companies: "We are going to work in a new company model where there will be collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence agents."

But he issued a key warning: "Transformation happens through organisational redesign. Technology does not transform a company."

New skills and cultures geared towards innovation

Salvador Suárez devoted a significant part of his contribution to the skills that define the talent of the future. He highlighted six: systems thinking, experimentation, collaboration in ecosystems, AI-augmented professionals, cognitive agility and strategic vision.

And he argued for a culture with no fear of failure: "Having that mindset that there are no failures, only learnings." Along the same lines, his prototyping philosophy: "A rough prototype worked on for one week is better than a perfect one produced in a year."

Collaboration between companies, startups and universities

Both agreed on the need to build stable alliances. Salvador was clear: "Collaboration between companies, startups and universities remains key. Startups bring speed and agility; universities generate talent; and companies have the resources."

And he pointed out the real challenge: "The big challenge is to establish and remove those barriers that still make these connections difficult in our country." He cited Patio Campus as an example, "the largest open innovation platform in Spain", which he would like to see replicated with the academic world included.

For her part, Verónica stressed that the university entrepreneurial ecosystem works without overlaps: "We are all one single ecosystem; from within the entrepreneurial ecosystem we work in unison to foster entrepreneurial initiative among students.”

Emerging trends in education, innovation and organisational transformation

The session also looked ahead, reviewing some of the trends that are reshaping the landscape of education, innovation and organisational transformation. The rise of artificial intelligence, personalised learning, new hybrid formats and the growing importance of transversal skills were among the key themes highlighted.

Salvador Suárez stressed that these trends should not be seen as threats, but as opportunities to fundamentally rethink the way teaching, learning and innovation are approached. The conclusion was clear: “the institutions best able to integrate these trends into their value proposition will be the ones that lead the next generation of talent and innovation”.

A space to answer questions and turn learning into practice

The session ended with a Q&A in which attendees were able to raise their questions and explore the issues discussed in greater depth. This space made it possible to translate the content into concrete situations, reinforcing the practical nature of the webinar. 

If you do not want to miss the next sessions, check the webinar schedule of the ONE Platform.