How Challenge Based learning enables entrepreneurship

One of the goals of the MSc Energy for Smart Cities has evolved to the creation of start-ups after educating innovative engineers in the 4 European Universities that participate. The results of the Challenge Based Education applied to 1^st year Master students during the Innovation Journey (IJ) using this methodology has increased the motivation of a part of the students for being entrepreneurs and also to create their own startup. The first edition of the Entrepreneurship Journey (EJ) for 2^nd year students started in the course 2016-17 with 10 students and 3 start-up initiatives, and the success story of the FlexiDao start-up created. In this paper, the main characteristics of the Challenge Based Education in the IJ that fosters the creation of start-ups in the EJ are detailed for each of the key stakeholders involved: students, challenge owners, teachers and start-up ecosystem. Two of those elements, students and ecosystems, are further analysed in this paper using different research methodologies. The student perspective has been analysed via a survey to the participants in the last three editions with a self-evaluation of their progression using the EntreComp Framework. The ecosystem perspective has been analysed with a literature review and experts’ opinions. Main results provide insights on how entrepreneurship is a natural consequence of Challenge Based learning.