The third day of the Sustainability for Future (S4F) Tirana Meet-Up concluded on 17 April with a forward-looking capacity-building workshop hosted at EPOKA University, bringing together university managers,  academic staff,  administrative staff, and students to explore the next steps in strengthening Epoka’s development as an entrepreneurial university.
 

Titled “Advancing the Entrepreneurial University at EPOKA: From Assessment to Action,” the workshop focused on how higher education institutions can become stronger drivers of entrepreneurship, innovation, and societal engagement. Moderated by Ester Bernado Mansilla and facilitated by experts from the Sustainability for Future project, the session introduced participants to the HEInnovate framework, a strategic tool developed by the European Commission and the OECD to support universities in assessing and advancing their entrepreneurial capacity.
 

The workshop opened with an exploration of the foundations of the entrepreneurial university concept, highlighting how modern universities are increasingly expected not only to deliver education and research, but also to generate innovation, support startups, collaborate with industry, and contribute actively to regional and societal development.
 

Participants were then guided through the HEInnovate framework, which provides a structured approach to evaluating institutional performance across key dimensions such as leadership and governance, entrepreneurial teaching and learning, digital transformation, knowledge exchange, internationalisation, and measuring impact.

A central part of the session focused on reflection and action planning. Through collaborative group work, participants developed practical ideas and strategic priorities using the HEInnovate Action Cards, transforming institutional reflection into concrete proposals for future development. The workshop concluded with group pitches, next-step discussions, and key takeaways aimed at informing future actions and strategic planning at EPOKA University.
 

To maintain momentum beyond the meet-up, the workshop will be followed by online sessions in the coming months, ensuring continued collaboration, follow-up actions, and implementation support.

The third day highlighted the strong commitment of EPOKA University and its European partners to building a modern, entrepreneurial, and innovation-oriented university culture. It also demonstrated how the Sustainability for Future initiative is supporting universities across Europe in strengthening both their internal capacities and their wider sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems.