To effectively support innovation and entrepreneurship, higher education institutions (HEIs) need to stimulate and reward leadership at all levels, and create proper support structures and incentives for staff and students to take action for impact. Different ways of doing this were showcased, reviewed and discussed by around 150 delegates from across Europe. The 2-day conference programme featured keynotes from the rectors of Maastricht University and the University of Porto; they provided rich insights of what being an innovative & entrepreneurial HEI means in practice and what the impacts are on the organisation, staff and students, and on the wider environment.