The Contamination Lab of the University of Pisa has officially entered the European map of best practices in university-level entrepreneurship education. The CLab has been cited as an example of good practice in the new European Commission report “Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindsets in Education”, which showcases the most effective models adopted by universities and institutions to foster entrepreneurial skills within educational pathways.
Produced within the Community for Educational Innovation (CEI), the report analyses trends, success stories and recommendations to make entrepreneurship a structural component of European education systems. The Pisa experience of the Contamination Lab is among the selected cases from across Europe, recognised for its ability to bring together different disciplines, promote collaboration with the local area, and offer experiential learning opportunities to students from all academic backgrounds.
“Since its inception, the Contamination Lab has been a laboratory of ideas and relationships — a valuable asset for the University of Pisa and for the local community — where contamination means openness, collaboration and innovation,” says Alessio Cavicchi, Director of the CLab and Rector’s Delegate for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Culture and Social Innovation. “Over the past three years, with the support of externally funded projects, we have consolidated an ecosystem that places students and researchers at its centre, fostering dialogue with local communities and international networks, and promoting growth, experimentation and internationalisation. I would like to thank everyone who has worked and continues to work with the CLab, the Circle U. Alliance and the Start For Future project: their expertise and commitment have been crucial in creating real opportunities, such as international mobility grants, which enable teams to develop innovative solutions at partner universities’ centres of excellence. The European Commission now recognises these kinds of initiatives and values as good practice, alongside other significant experiences at the European level.”
The report highlights the importance of international university networks, such as those developed by the University of Pisa within the European Alliance Circle U., and pays attention to European initiatives aimed at reducing the gender gap in access to entrepreneurship. In this context, the University’s collaboration with Netval is crucial in strengthening women’s participation in innovation and business creation.
At the heart of the publication lies the idea that entrepreneurship is a cross-cutting competence, not limited to the creation of new businesses. Being entrepreneurial involves developing creativity, critical thinking, resilience, and the ability to turn ideas into solutions and generate a positive impact on society — a mission that the Contamination Lab of Pisa has been pursuing for years, helping to train new generations of innovators.
