EUTOPIA Innovation Challenges are interdisciplinary, challenge-based programmes that bring together participants from across the EUTOPIA alliance to work on real-world societal problems, often in collaboration with public and private stakeholders. These programmes combine teamwork, mentoring, skills development and, in many editions, site visits and local engagement—transforming ideas into practical, impact-oriented solutions.
Innovation Challenges for Students
EUTOPIA Innovation Challenges for Students engage Bachelor’s and Master’s students in intensive, international, team-based activities. Selected students collaborate across disciplines to propose solutions to societal challenges while strengthening their innovation, communication and intercultural collaboration skills.
1) Discovery Week – Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) | 15–19 April 2024
The first student-focused “Discovery Week” edition (hackathon format) brought together participants from across the alliance to work on topics such as cybersecurity strategies for SMEs, sustainability and circular economy models, and artificial intelligence and health economics.
2) Discovery Week – CY Cergy Paris University (France) | 13–17 November 2024
The second edition gathered students from EUTOPIA universities for a week of challenges, teamwork, training sessions, networking, and engagement with stakeholders, hosted by CY Cergy Paris University.
3) Innovation Challenge – Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) | 13–15 May 2025
A three-day programme focused on “Unmasking the Truth: Tackling Fake News Together”, exploring misinformation, deepfakes and the impact of fake news on democracy through collaboratively developed student solutions.
4) Innovation Challenges / Autumn School – Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium) | 17–21 November 2025
Hosted by VUB, this edition focused on “multilingualism in contemporary societies”, approaching multilingualism as a lived social and political reality through expert-led sessions, creative workshops and visits in Brussels.
Innovation Challenges for Researchers
EUTOPIA Innovation Challenges for Researchers are immersive programmes designed to connect research with real-world societal needs, supporting collaboration with industry, skills development and interdisciplinary cooperation across the EUTOPIA alliance.
1) Ocean Innovation Challenges – NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal) | 5–9 May 2024
This edition brought together researchers from across the EUTOPIA alliance to address ocean-related challenges through multidisciplinary teamwork and solutions developed in collaboration with industry partners.
2) Researchers Impact Series – University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) | 14–17 October 2024
A four-day, impact-focused programme organised in connection with Slovenia’s UNI.MINDS Science & Innovation Festival, designed to strengthen researchers’ innovation and impact capacities while creating opportunities to engage with companies (including start-ups) and fellow EUTOPIA researchers.
3) Ocean Innovation Challenges – NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal) | 5–9 May 2025
Within the EUTOPIA MORE framework, NOVA hosted a five-day ocean-focused challenge programme bringing together researchers from multiple EUTOPIA universities, who worked with industry partners on real-world challenges. Published reflections highlight mentoring, design thinking and interdisciplinary teamwork (for example, combining linguistics, oceanography and data science).