Triple E awards for two IASP members from Spain

Two IASP members from Spain, the University Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the University of Malaga (UMA), were both winners  in the European Triple E Awards, which recognise entrepreneurship and engagement in Higher Education. UC3M came first in the Engaged University of the Year category, and UMA second in the Entrepreneurial Space of the Year category.

The Triple E Awards, hosted by the “ACEEU” (Accreditation Council of Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities) aim to foster change in universities and to emphasize their role in their communities and ecosystems. The 2022 European Triple E Awards will put a spotlight on the Triple Helix collaborations, with universities, government and industry working together to drive innovation and societal impacts, making it especially relevant to the science park and area of innovation community.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, which runs the UC3M Science Park, won the Engaged University of the Year Award, and was praised for the way it "Acts “glocal” through leadership and excellence in education and research."

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is a public university founded in 1989 to contribute to economic development and social cohesion in Madrid. Born engaged, nowadays it is embedded in the regional environment through its strong community, its involvement in the innovation ecosystem, and its commitment to social challenges in the region where regular collaboration with local and regional government brings mutual benefit.

The University has a very active role at national and international levels. Nationally, almost 50% of annual applications of the new student cohort come from all over Spain. At the international level, as well as being a member of IASP, it is a member of the YUFE ALLIANCE sharing the vision of the European University of the future: inclusive, diverse, innovative and committed to Europeans’ values.

Under the strong leadership of Rector Prof. Juan Romo, citizen resilience and engagement, inclusivity and a specific 2030 SDGs UC3M agenda are drivers for pursuing excellence in education and research.

The University of Malaga won second place in the Innovation and Collaboration Space of the Year Award for its “Link” hub, "The connecting space between university talent and the entrepreneurial ecosystem".

Link by UMA is the university’s Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and was set up in 2015 with the aim of becoming a connector between the University and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its mission is to generate entrepreneurial human capital and promote behaviours oriented towards innovation, intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship in the university community.

Link by UMA supports entrepreneurs in each step of their journey, differentiating three main phases: Ideation, Maturation and Incubation. It is an innovation and entrepreneurship school, and the place where new entrepreneurial initiatives arise, a meeting point, an incubation space where new projects can mature, and a research center focused on entrepreneurship. Its entire offer of activities, programs and services has been created with an open innovation model, taking into account a great diversity of partners.

The Hub provides a unique collaborative environment where training activities and social events take place, allowing the interaction between students, researchers, companies, investors, entrepreneurs, public agencies, consultants and mentors. The University of Malaga plays a mediating role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, developing a suitable context to the participation of external actors to foster innovation at the campus. Its success has encouraged the University to considered entrepreneurship as a strategic axis and key part of its mission.

Congratulation to both winners!