Entrepreneurship Education Summer School in Chile: Fostering innovation across borders
January 21, 2026
published by hei_INNOVATION
From January 11–17, hei_INNOVATION hosted the “Design Thinking for Entrepreneurship Summer School” in Santiago de Chile. The program allowed participants from Chile to learn and collaborate on real innovation challenges. The goal was to strengthen entrepreneurial and innovation skills, build international networks, and enable participants to turn ideas into concrete projects. The Summer School was held in cooperation with the Heidelberg Center Latin America (HCLA) and co‑facilitated by the Entrepreneurs Campus from Ulm University.
The hybrid program combined a flexible two week online preparatory phase with an intensive week of in person workshops and field work at venues including the HCLA campus and the Innovation Center of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The students worked in interdisciplinary teams to develop creative solutions using design thinking.
Cheng-Wen Jaw, program coordinator from hei_INNOVATION, shares his impressions: “It was inspiring to see the participants come together to tackle real-world challenges with such creativity and enthusiasm. What made this Summer School truly special was the international aspect. Working with facilitators from Germany, experiencing the Chilean Startup eco system and talking to international innovators from industry and universities allowed the participants to gain new perspectives and learn from different approaches to innovation.”
Ulm University, as well as Heidelberg University through hei_INNOVATION, are part of the NXTGN Startup Factory consortium, a collaborative initiative that supports deeptech start-ups and technology-driven entrepreneurship in Baden Württemberg. As part of this network, the partners contribute to strengthening ties between research and entrepreneurial practice across the region. The Summer School will be offered again next year as part of these ongoing efforts to foster innovation and collaboration.
The Summer School is part of hei_INNOVATION’s Entrepreneurial Skills portfolio, which equips students with practical tools and methods in innovation and entrepreneurship through hands on formats and real-world collaboration.
