CODEUNITED: co-building entrepreneurship on a European scale

Bringing together higher education institutions and innovation actors

Founded in 2024, CODEUNITED brings together EDHEC, four other European higher education institutions - Aalto University (Finland), Brunel University London (UK), LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) – and three business actors - Maze Impact (Portugal), West London Business (UK) and Cogknit Oy (Finland). The project stems from a shared observation, namely that despite the proliferation of entrepreneurship initiatives in higher education (staff training, student education, support for start-ups), they remain siloed and insufficiently integrated into innovation ecosystems (incubators, research laboratories, professors, student associations, corporate innovation departments) or other departments of the schools or businesses concerned.

Responding to this shortcoming, CODEUNITED aims to build bridges between the two worlds, by fostering synergies and compiling a common entrepreneurial education strategy that can be deployed at all levels of education and training, and be shared by all the partner establishments.

Creating a space for sharing good practices

The consortium’s members met in Paris for two days of workshops, project presentations and exchanges.

Among the highlights, Gaspard Martin (EDHEC 2014), investor with Ring Capital, talked about the creation of the GENERATIONS powered by EDHEC seed fund, devoted to impact projects. He presented the fund’s two-pronged approach, which involves assisting start-ups that respond to contemporary (climate, social or societal) challenges, while also mobilising the School’s alumni in support of these initiatives. He also presented the details of a sectorally-diversified investment strategy. The underlying idea was to illustrate how collaboration between a higher education institution and an investment fund can foster the emergence of entrepreneurial projects that benefit the climate and society.

Another key speaker was the West London Business network, which presented its work designed to make West London more attractive and competitive for business. The speech gave the consortium`s members insight into the potential for developing synergies with West London Business. Grouping together some 200 members (businesses, universities and local actors), the organisation operates across an area comprising close to 2 million inhabitants spread over seven districts, and more than 100,000 companies. It assists its members with economic and political issues, and supports the development of strategic sectors, thus illustrating the impact that a structured ecosystem can have on economic development in a given geographic area.

Creating common solutions for fostering female entrepreneurship

Another of the seminar’s high points was a workshop devoted to female entrepreneurship. It gave the consortium’s partners the chance to share and exchange on the subject of the low proportion of women represented among start-up founders and on academic programmes focused on entrepreneurship.

To fuel thinking on the subject, two female entrepreneurs supported by EDHEC Entrepreneurs  - Manon Fischer, co-founder of Les Polettes and Charlotte Marion, co-founder of Atelier Murmure -  talked about their route into entrepreneurship and their experience of it. They also discussed the obstacles encountered in their development, as well as the levers that enabled them to set up and expand their companies.    

Following these testimonies, the consortium’s members took part in a round table designed to compare the situations observed in their respective establishments. Despite the different national contexts, the exercise yielded several common observations. The discussions then focused on initiatives already implemented by the various members, along with good practices and ideas for action to be developed collectively, all with the aim of encouraging more women to engage in entrepreneurship.

Plotting the next stages

These two days of exchanges in Paris achieved concrete progress in a number of areas for CODEUNITED. They notably led to a road map for 2026-2027, prepared and approved by all the partners, which includes KPIs to be attained and areas of cooperation to be reinforced.