EntrepreneurshipLab UC. Projeto de capacitação para a inovação e empreendorismo dos estudantes e diplomados pela Universidade de Coimbra

Abstract

The question of unemployment and its effects on global economy has become one of the main social concerns on the XXI century. The presentation of proposals and solutions for lowering rates of youth unemployment with higher education must be one of the priorities for higher education institutions, which are currently evaluated by the employability of the courses, provided by them. The project presented in the current report aims to increase an entrepreneurial culture among students and graduates from University of Coimbra (UC) and to promote the acquisition of cross-cutting skills, essential for their professional career. The intention is to create partnerships and synergies between different institutions in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation of public, private and third sector. The EntrepreneurshipLab UC will combine a web platform that will support and stimulate entrepreneurship with a physical space on the university campus, which will allow the collaboration between participants, provide the access to places to carry out formations, meetings, business project or ideas presentation sessions, teamwork and access to bibliography and documents. We conducted a diagnosis based on the strategic guidelines of European Union and UC as well as the listening of students and graduates that applied for the business ideas competition Arrisca C, through the conduction of a questionnaire. This listening allowed the identification of areas of formation valued by young entrepreneurs and needs in the monitoring the implementation of the business idea.