A living lab for entrepreneurship: Inside H-FARM’s innovation campus

In this episode, we are joined by Timothy O’Connell, Senior Partner and Director of the Entrepreneurship and Startup Center at H-FARM, to unpack what it really means to treat entrepreneurial education as a living, breathing ecosystem. Located on the Venice Lagoon, H-FARM brings together education, startups and corporates in one integrated campus — where learning is designed to translate directly into venture creation, pilot projects and real-world collaboration.

Born not as an educational institution but as a startup incubator, H-FARM’s model flips the traditional script. Entrepreneurship came first; education followed as a necessary foundation for building future founders, innovators and intrapreneurs. Drawing on more than 15 years of experimentation, Timothy reflects on why European ecosystems require different innovation models than Silicon Valley, how education became a core lever for venture creation, and why the boundaries between universities, startups and corporates are increasingly dissolving.

You can read a summary below, and listen to the full interview in our podcast:

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Summary

Entrepreneurial first: Education as a strategic necessity

H-FARM’s origins shape everything it does. Unlike universities that later add entrepreneurship as a layer, H-FARM was built from the ground up as a venture-building platform. Education emerged not as an add-on, but as a response to a clear gap: without developing future entrepreneurs early, the startup pipeline simply could not sustain itself.

This entrepreneurial-first DNA explains why degree programmes, events and venture activity are tightly interwoven. Students don’t just learn about entrepreneurship — they are immersed in it daily, surrounded by founders, corporates and investors working on real problems.

From classroom to pilot-ready ventures

H-FARM’s education model is intentionally designed to collapse the distance between learning and application. Degree programmes span technology, business and entrepreneurship, but all are anchored in venture creation and experimentation.

This is a place where you want to invent something new.

Beyond formal programmes, constant exposure to talks, industry leaders and emerging technologies creates an environment where entrepreneurial thinking becomes second nature. Whether students study business creation, marketing or international management, entrepreneurship runs through the entire experience.

Curiosity, capability and the making of entrepreneurs

When asked what differentiates students who reach pilot-ready stages, Timothy points first to curiosity. The most successful teams are those driven to understand real problems — especially those faced by corporate partners — and explore how technology might solve them.

Working with hundreds of corporates across industries, H-FARM encourages students to engage deeply with customer, product and ecosystem challenges. Those who lean into this process — and who show genuine passion for problem-solving — are the ones corporates want to work with.

Entrepreneurship beyond startups

A defining feature of H-FARM’s approach is its refusal to frame entrepreneurship as synonymous with founding a startup. While venture creation remains central, students are equally encouraged to apply entrepreneurial tools inside established organisations.

Students learn how to challenge business models, prototype solutions and build financial plans — capabilities that translate directly into corporate innovation roles. For many, the realisation that they can drive change within organisations like Toyota, Audi or Gucci becomes a powerful alternative pathway.

Open innovation, corporate maturity and ecosystem thinking

Corporate engagement at H-FARM has evolved dramatically. What once felt like observation from the sidelines has become deep, structured collaboration. Corporates now arrive with clearer needs, more technical focus and a stronger understanding of open innovation.

Open innovation is no longer optional.

Through accelerators, open innovation programmes and long-term partnerships such as Toyota Open Labs, H-FARM positions itself as an ecosystem orchestrator, helping corporates, startups and students find the right models to work together effectively.

Looking ahead: The entrepreneurial university of the future

When asked what success will look like in 15 years, Timothy is clear: the future entrepreneurial university is one where education, startups and corporates intersect seamlessly. H-FARM, he argues, already offers a glimpse of that future.

This is where the future of an entrepreneurial university is going to be.

By strengthening global partnerships, deepening corporate collaboration and continuing to experiment, H-FARM aims to remain a space where innovation is lived, not theorised.

H-FARM’s model challenges universities to rethink how entrepreneurial learning is designed, delivered and connected to the world beyond campus. By treating education as a living lab — rooted in real problems, real partners and real outcomes — it offers a compelling blueprint for institutions seeking to turn entrepreneurial ambition into sustained impact.

Ready for more?

As universities rethink how innovation bridges research, education and ecosystem partnerships, the article The Future University: Innovation power plants highlights models where infrastructure, strategy and cross-sector collaboration combine to generate sustained impact.
For a deeper look at how entrepreneurial education can evolve with purpose and inclusivity, the podcast Elevating entrepreneurial education: The four transitions to startup success at CSE offers practical lessons from a campus where multidisciplinary learning and multiple pathways shape future innovators.

Stay tuned for the next episode on this series and don’t forget to follow us on your preferred podcast platform!