The Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), through its Chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, presented the EIL InnoLabs UTPL —Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lab— on May 14. This new academic space has been created to strengthen the entrepreneurial and innovative culture within the university through processes of ideation, validation, and prototyping of impactful solutions.

María Fernanda Zumba Zúñiga, coordinator of the InnoLabs UTPL project, explained that this space responds to a specific need in higher education: connecting academic learning with practical experiences that allow students to develop innovative solutions. “Entrepreneurial education should not be limited to the conceptual formulation of an idea; it should allow students to test, adjust, and materialize solutions,” she stated.

The laboratory will also prioritize initiatives related to the strategic areas promoted by UTPL’s Science and Technology Park, including agribusiness, food, bioeconomy, sustainability, circular economy, technology, and digital transformation.

During the presentation event, it was highlighted that the laboratory will mainly support students who are taking the Entrepreneurship course and whose proposals show potential for social, economic, environmental, or technological impact. According to the professor, the goal is for the most promising ideas to move forward into validation, experimentation, and early-stage prototyping processes.

The EIL InnoLabs UTPL will include innovation methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Business Model Canvas, challenge-based learning, and rapid prototyping. These methodologies will help strengthen skills related to creativity, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and project management.

With the presentation of the EIL InnoLabs UTPL, the university strengthens its commitment to comprehensive education based on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the creation of solutions that respond to the challenges of the environment. This initiative also helps consolidate spaces that connect academia with social and productive transformation.