The Latin American Council of Management Schools (CLADEA), an international network comprising 240 business schools and international organisations from Latin America, North America, Europe and Oceania, has recognised ESADE Business & Law School for its commitment to educational innovation at the first edition of the CLADEA Awards on 27th August in Barranquilla, Colombia.

CLADEA awarded ESADE first prize in the University Innovation category for the school’s Rambla of Innovation, a new 2,100 m2 learning ecosystem made up of five experimentation laboratories. The laboratories are equipped with numerous technical features that make it possible to apply innovative teaching dynamics to foster the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation processes.

“This award recognises the unique model of educational experience employed by ESADE Business & Law School, which is innovative and transformational in the university sector as well as in executive education,” commented Josep Franch, Dean of ESADE Business School. “By launching the Rambla of Innovation, ESADE created a new educational and entrepreneurial ecosystem on its international campus in Sant Cugat, Barcelona, ​​that combines entrepreneurship and innovation while placing students at the centre of their own educational journey.”

According to Josep Franch, “The purpose of the Rambla, with the synergies that are going to be generated among the various laboratories, is to scale up the level of impact. Starting now, our projects will be more complete, as they will incorporate complementary capacities in the various laboratories. Challenges will grow into ideas, for which prototypes can rapidly be created, tested with users, and transformed into sustainable startups.”

The 2018 CLADEA Awards ceremony highlighted initiatives and projects spearheaded by undergraduate and postgraduate students, graduates, universities and companies, with a focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and multilatina management.

In the Students, Graduates and University category, the CLADEA council selected 18 finalists in three subcategories – innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability – after assessing aspects such as originality, impact, methodology and conclusions. This first edition of the CLADEA Awards recognised projects from Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Spain, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela.