Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability: "This is an Idea!"

Innovative and entrepreneurial behaviours are the basis for the creation of sustainable products and processes that preserve energy (and natural) resources. With this paper the authors argue and defend that adopting this principle of sustainability, where the response to actual needs in the present does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, should be one the pillar in the educational systems (either formal or informal) and later on for industrial practices and manufacturing processes. The empirical part of this paper will be developed according to the case study's approach methodology and grounded on "This is an idea!", an activity encompassed in and out of school which is a hands-on project focused on experience, innovation and entrepreneurship for youngsters. The Technological Center has been running the project for 17 years and it has encompassed more than 9,500 youngsters between the ages of 10 and 17. The project's main objective is to develop a positive vision of the industry, of employment opportunities and technical careers in the industrial sector, towards a sustainable and active citizenship. "This is an idea!"'s activities are designed to allow youngsters to: 1) Give new meanings and interpretations to reality; 2) Rationalise the impact of their learning in real settings; 3) Promote sustainable consumption and production awareness; 4) Develop new ideas promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; 5) Gain skills concerning divergent thought (e. g. creativity techniques) and viability evaluation; 6) Promote awareness for technical careers related to industry; 7) Promote awareness of industrial processes and its links to everyday life; 8) Promote and discuss the development of vocational identity. 3 outputs will be discussed and analysed: i) Ecowaters; ii) Hand-Write and iii) Citriwall. These outputs were thought up, questioned and developed by teams of youngsters according to the project principles. The pedagogical focus of the activities and the rationale for the products design is based not only on know-how (actions) and know-who (networking) but also on know-what (facts), know-why (science) and knowing how it works in real settings (industrial literacy), this is to say that besides the theoretical knowledge, the project gives emphasis to tacit knowledge and skills development on a wider scenario promoting sustainability behaviours anchored on innovation and entrepreneurship in the "new generation".