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Presentation at the National Meeting of Citizen Labs in Alicante
Fundeun creates a plan for collaborative work and support community initiatives: Pathfinder+
The University-Enterprise Foundation of Alicante (Fundeun) participated in the National Citizen Labs Meeting with the presentation of the European project Pathfinder+, a pioneering program aiming to become a reference in training to support the development of new community projects within municipalities. The meeting was inaugurated by Juan José Cortez Vélez, General Director of Innovation of the Generalitat Valenciana, and Vicente Seguí, General Director of Employment, Business Promotion, and New Economy of the Alicante City Council. This event gathered national and international experts and key players in the fields of citizen participation, open innovation, and participatory design.
During the meeting, Virginia Payá, EU Senior Project Manager of Pathfinder+ at Fundeun, provided an in-depth overview of the project and how its innovative approach will foster the creation of a collaborative work methodology that supports the development of community initiatives at the European level. Pathfinder is a project that not only promotes active citizen participation but is also being designed in collaboration with key stakeholders involved in the development of community projects. To date, Pathfinder+ has made significant strides in conceptualizing “community entrepreneurship” and identifying the key skills needed to successfully implement social and environmental projects at the local level. The project distinguishes itself from other programs through its participatory approach. The European collaborative community emerging around Pathfinder enables institutions, entrepreneurs, and citizens to work together to address local challenges and co-create solutions that positively impact their territories.
The National Citizen Labs Meeting offered a space for reflection and practical workshops on the tools and methodologies transforming forms of citizen collaboration. These workshops allowed attendees to experience firsthand how these approaches are being applied in the development of community projects.
Fundeun will lead EU research to bring entrepreneurship training in line with EU standards
What is the best training for entrepreneurship? The answer varies depending on the European country, and to standardize concepts and learning, the EU has approved the Pathfinder project (Paving the way for Digital Learning in Higher Education with Enterprise Community Development). This initiative, led by the University-Enterprise Foundation of Alicante (Fundeun), will conduct initial research and then launch a training pathway through the program.
Over the next two years, the focus will be on community entrepreneurship through the development of digital tools. Fundeun will take the lead, but the initiative comes from a consortium that also includes the Polytechnic University of Valencia as a Spanish partner, the Institute of Social Innovation and Cohesion (IKKS) in Greece, Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, UC Limburg in Belgium, and the Economic Chamber of Styria in Austria.
Fundeun has explained that the project will begin with six months of research on “offered needs and analyzing those distinguishing gaps.”
The second key aspect of Pathfinder is its effort toward establishing accredited training in entrepreneurship. With three universities backing the program, the University Foundation has announced that the possibility of giving the courses “microcredential” status—an official EU-endorsed certification—has been proposed.
The training would not only be a course but also a recognized form of learning with professional and administrative value. If successful, the beneficiaries will be the three target groups of the program: academics; so-called “Innovation Agents”; and, additionally, “social entrepreneurs and innovators.”
Digital Repository
The training provided will not go to waste, and another objective is to create a repository with the materials at the end of the process. “The Pathfinder project envisions participants accessing digital educational activities and resources related to entrepreneurship and community-driven local development. The anticipated digital repository may help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become successful community entrepreneurs,” they explain.
Fundeun clarifies that this is not online training, as courses will be held in person, but it will leverage shared information. The goal is also to standardize concepts and preparation in the entrepreneurial world across Europe. Each participating university and consultancy will teach in its language, allowing the repertoire to be available in six EU languages: Spanish, English, German, Greek, Lithuanian, and French.
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