Creativity Framework – Institutional Essentials for a Cross-border Learning Environment PETER FISCHER BRIDGE is a learning environment addressing three main goals. First, enhanced employability of university graduates through practically solving business problems; second, support of local industry through cooperation between students and companies, and third, the developed learning environment itself to ensure continuation of BRIDGE after the expiration of the project funding. The objective of the article is to propose institutional prerequisites that enable departments at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to more effectively design projects like BRIDGE. We argue that the degree of project integration into a HEI affects the quality and use of this kind of interactive learning environment. This article is based on project lessons learned and theoretical insights into entrepreneurship education and the concept of employability (Fayolle 2010; Owens & Tibby 2014; Perrin, Hancock & Miller 2021; Soares, Dias, Monteiro & Proença 2017). The process of incremental adaption of the learning environment to practical requirements sheds light on strengths and weaknesses of projectrelated institutional structures. However, the article does not assess the individual partners. The intention is to merge appropriate elements from each of the institutions into a supportive set of recommendations for BRIDGE-like projects. It follows a description of gradually implemented adaptations. Critical institutional areas are identified that have or could have supported this process and suggest improved conditions for similar learning environments.
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