INNOVATION STRATEGIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE CASE OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA

The main goal of this article is to analyse the concept of << innovation >> in the sphere of higher education, through the model of open innovation deployed by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya ( UOC). Nowadays, the challenge that the university system is facing is differentiation, both in research and in teaching. And a project concerning innovation must fulfill that need for strategic differentiation. The project carried out by UOC is a model of strategic innovation. Its aim is to be open to the reception of collaborative experience and knowledge produced in the area in which virtual learning environments are created. It also aims at positioning the university as an institution that creates knowledge in a workframe of constant change and improvement.