UNIAUDAX – Center for Research and Support for Entrepreneurship and Family Businesses

The non-profit organization UNIAUDAX – Center for Research and Support for Entrepreneurship and Family Businesses (https://audax.iscte-iul.pt), hereinafter referred to as ISCTE/Audax, is the center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship of ISCTE-IUL, established in July of 2005, with the mission of promoting an innovative and entrepreneurial attitude and transforming ideas into businesses on a local and global scale and to promote sustainable economic growth and competitiveness by reinforcing the innovation capacity of entrepreneurs. Since its establishment, ISCTE/Audax has already inspired 23,491 people, trained 15,715 entrepreneurs (from several national and international universities), developed 155 studies and projects and is currently also responsible for the business incubator LABS LISBOA – Incubator for Innovation (www.labslisboa.pt). ISCTE/Audax experience includes:

1. Green Discoveries (2019) – http://greendiscoveries.pt – an Ideation program and acceleration of solutions for environmental challenges, which took place at Ota Air Base (Military base), in partnership with Alenquer Municipality. This project aimed to promote the development of business ideas and projects that would solve environmental challenges and contribute to active citizenship in the field of sustainable development and the enhancement of the territory. Funding source: Alenquer City Council.
2. Wine Discoveries (2018), a competition for business ideas in the areas of Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Tourism, which included an intensive training program in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. http://www.cm-alenquer.pt/News/newsdetail.aspx?news=2f0a280d-8036-43e8-95ce-459e1a477dd8. Funding source: Alenquer and Torres Vedras City Council.
3. RS4E – Road Show for Entrepreneurship (2010-2019) – http://www.rs4e.com , an intensive course of Innovation & Entrepreneurship aimed at university students held annually in Madeira Island. This initiative has already impacted 910 young people throughout its 13 editions. Funding Source: Madeira Island City Council and Private Partners.
4. YA First Step (2010-2019) – https://audax.iscte-iul.pt/ya-first-step.html – dynamic and pedagogical training that aims to activate the entrepreneurial spirit of young people aged 13 to 18, in which in a fun way the basic foundations for the creation of a business are transmitted, an initiative that has already covered more than a thousand participants. Funding source: private partners
5. Training and development of Innovative & Entrepreneurial projects for long-term unemployed, in the Post-graduate course in Business Technologies and Sciences, promoted in 2015 in partnership with IEFP (www.iefp.pt).
6. It is also noteworthy that Audax is part of the consortium of the Collaborative Laboratory in the Tourism area (KIPT -Knowledge to Innovate Professions in Tourism), recently approved, whose main mission is the development of innovation and entrepreneurship actions for the relaunch of the various sectors in the great economic area of tourism. It should also be noted that Audax embodies in its mission the transfer of knowledge and the relationship of the university with society and the economy that constitute a strategic priority for ISCTE-IUL.
7. Audax is part of consortium of TeamUp5G –MSCA-ITN Developing of 15 PhD innovative theses in several European universities and companies in areas of cybersecurity, Software Defined Radio, 5G communications, digital networks supported by drones and new hardware for communications. Audax is responsible by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship program for all students and mentoring activities to technology transfer.
8. Audax support some actions that support the business of startups, namely capturing private and public investment (national and international).

Audax was established on the assumption that Innovation & Entrepreneurship is indispensable for the creation of value in organizations, nascent or already existing, for the training of people, from young to adults, and to the sustained growth of nations.  Audax is also lined up with the central philosophy of the RESETING project promoting the interaction between business, education and innovation, which are key drivers of a knowledge-based society.