The European Innovation Council Summit took place this week in Brussels, bringing together innovators, policymakers, and investors to accelerate Europe’s deep-tech ecosystem. Josemaria Siota, Executive Director of IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, presented the latest report on April 2, highlighting how boards can better support scaleups, especially given that only 40% of European deep-tech firms have non-executive directors. His insights contributed to a broader conversation on strengthening leadership and growth strategies across Europe’s most promising innovation-driven companies. Find out more here.

Last week, 30 members of IESE’s WeStart community, including students, alumni founders, and mentors, visited TravelPerk’s Barcelona HQ. President and COO Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo shared the company’s growth story, followed by Head of Community Miriam Pereo del Sol, who spoke about its culture and values. The highlight: a Q&A with CEO and IESE alum Avi Meir (MBA ’11), offering candid insights on scaling a unicorn. A hands-on learning experience for IESE’s WeStart community inspiring early-stage founders with real life success stories. Learn more about WeStart here.

George Parker (MBA ’19) started his MBA with a clear goal: to launch a business and chose IESE for its strong focus on entrepreneurship. In 2019, he founded GOMEEP, a subscription service for electric scooters and bikes. He credits the IESE alumni ecosystem and mentoring initiatives for helping him get started, drawing inspiration from founders like Timo Buetefisch (MBA ’03). Beyond a top education, George found a global, supportive community. Today, he gives back by mentoring students and hiring from IESE. Watch his story to see how the IESE network can boost your impact and entrepreneurial journey.

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator has announced its third Open Call, inviting partnerships between European, Latin American, and Caribbean entities to apply for a six-month acceleration program. This initiative focuses on driving digital transformation through collaborations between corporates and startups or SMEs. Applications are open until April 30, 2025. Through IESE Business School, the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator project provides support to companies aiming to sharpen their innovation strategy for digital technology adoption. Find out more.

On March 28, IESE’s MBA Search Fund Club co-hosted the 6th Annual Student-Led Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Conference with London Business School. Held at LBS’s Regent’s Park campus, the event brought together MBA students, investors, entrepreneurs, and search fund veterans to explore the evolving ETA landscape in Europe. Panels and networking sessions sparked valuable conversations on launching and backing search funds. With speakers including professors Jan Simon, José Martín Cabiedes, and IESE MBA ’14 Bruno Lea, the event offered rich insights and inspiration. Kudos to the student organizers at IESE and LBS for making it happen!

The EMBA Madrid Entrepreneurship Club has been actively organizing engaging, hands-on experiences for the IESE community. Recent highlights include a Q&A with Senior Lecturer Mathieu Carenzo, a panel with local entrepreneurs, and attendance at the Madrid launch of Carenzo’s new book, Hablando en Plata. These events have brought valuable real-world insights to students and strengthened ties amongst the community. The EMBA Entrepreneurship Club Madrid continues to energize our entrepreneurial ecosystem and connect students with real-world insights – great work by the student leaders driving these initiatives!​​​

Entrepreneurship isn’t just for startups: it’s for everyone. In today’s complex world, innovation and creativity are essential across all sectors. But first, we need to break the myths: entrepreneurs aren’t born; they’re made. Opportunities aren’t found; they’re created. And success isn’t luck; it’s a process. What does it take? Self-awareness, smart team design, and the willingness to act. At IESE, we believe entrepreneurship is a mindset: one that can be learned, practiced, and shared. Want to dig deeper? Read the Busting the Myths article by professors Chris Zott and Anneloes Raes.  

The European Innovation Council Scaling Club, in partnership with IESE, has released six new reports in its “Challenge Roadmaps” series, now complete with 10 studies. Topics range from gender balance to corporate partnerships and regulatory strategy, offering insights into how Europe’s top deep-tech scaleups plan to tackle key challenges in the year ahead. In Europe, deep tech has become a dominant force within the tech investment landscape. As of 2023, deep tech accounts for approximately 44% of all tech investments in Europe, marking an 18-percentage point rise since 2019. Access the reports on the IESE’s Scale-up Institute and get further information about IESE’s activity in this arena.