WP1 objective is to ensure that the project is executed on time, within budget, and with outstanding quality.

WP2 will guide the consortium in the elaboration of communication plans, dissemination strategy, drafting of shared actions for transferability and creation of strategies for exploitation. These are crucial elements for: 1. Attracting the stakeholders of regional ecosystems in the Innovation Hubs; 2. Attracting researchers, staff and students in I&E education; 3. Building a community for challenge-based innovation. Long term: 4. Scalability of the concept: translation to other KIC, University Alliances and HEIs so that other stakeholders can benefit from the project, in line with the Open Innovation agenda; 5. Promotion and raising awareness about the role of universities in the region and in society.

WP3 will institutionalise multidisciplinary Innovation Hubs within each of the 6 regions where HEIs partners are located. These hubs will be built leveraging existing structures and established relationships with all the actors of the quadruple helix in the regions. While relying on the KICs experience and on the experience gained in the ECIU Alliance project, we will take into account two main distinctive and novel issues: business needs and themes relevant for regional S3 priorities, several EIT KICs strategic objectives, along with various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WP4 builds upon the challenge-based innovation approach developed in the ECIU University Alliance project, where HEIs are viewed as facilitators in the co-creation of solutions with different stakeholders to tackle complex global challenges faced by society. WP4 aims to merge this approach with the experiences of KICs partners and use this novel challenge-based approach to gather quadruple helix stakeholders together and allow them to bring their specific insights into the toolkits and guidelines developed in other WPs. In particular, these activities will contribute to boosting HEI capacities by strengthening support services for start-ups and scale-ups (WP6) and enhancing entrepreneurship education (WP8).

The objective of WP5 is to complement activities carried out within other WPs by bringing in the best practices of EIT KICs to find solutions to major societal challenges in areas with high innovation potential. Exchange of good practices will happen between project partners and other innovation stakeholders, by sharing and combining best practices developed in EIT KICs activities by the participating KIC partners with the best practices and experiences of non-KIC partners.

WP6 main objectives are(i) explore the current consortium landscape of entrepreneurship and support services for start-ups and scale-ups; (ii) Develop a toolkit to create and implement innovative support services for start-ups and scale-ups taking advantage of the proposed challenge-based innovation cycle tested in WP4; (iii) Create and implement innovative pilot support services for start-ups and scale-ups; (iv) Evaluate the innovative pilot to enhance the sustainability of the support services.

The objective of WP7 is to improve teaching and learning assessment in I&E education, integrating summative with formative evaluation. Learners will be responsible for their learning through a self-directed approach and a reflective perspective. Teaching assessment will be fostered through two ways: feedback from learners (teaching quality assessment) and peer evaluation of teaching.

WP8 aims at establishing an Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership Development, to serve as a European model in providing practical skills for students, faculties and professionals. Building entrepreneurial capacity and culture across academic-industry collaboration.