6 IMPULSE projects from UNIL advance to phase 2 with dedicated funding

This year, six teams from the UNIL community have reached a key milestone in the Impulse programme — the intrapreneurship initiative dedicated to administrative and technical staff at the University of Lausanne.

These teams are developing practical solutions to institutional challenges they encounter in their daily work. They will now benefit from financial support from the Impulse Innovation Fund to develop their pilot projects.

Impulse provides administrative and technical staff with a structured framework to develop initiatives addressing internal challenges, such as process improvement, resource optimisation, community health and well-being, as well as projects with social or environmental impact.

The programme enables participants to:

• Structure and refine their ideas
• Test feasibility and explore viability
• Benefit from methodological support and innovation expertise
• Access financial support to develop a pilot project (for selected teams), through the CHF 100,000 Impulse Innovation Fund

The goal is to bring forward and implement solutions designed by those who understand the realities on the ground best.

Selection for Phase 2

During the pitch session, a jury representing faculties and services challenged the teams and identified key risk factors to anticipate potential integration within the institution. The six selected projects have now entered phase 2, where they will be able to fund and run their pilot initiatives over the coming months.

The expected impacts are both diverse and meaningful, ranging from significant energy savings to the ethical treatment of laboratory animals and efforts to reduce sedentary behaviour, among others. Discover all phase 2 projects here.

Strong commitment from the teams

We warmly congratulate the six teams for the quality of their work, their dedication, and their ability to propose innovative solutions for the benefit of UNIL. We also thank the jury members for their time and the relevance of their feedback.

Impulse clearly reflects UNIL’s commitment to fostering initiative and promoting a culture of agility and innovation.

Applications open for the 4th edition

Applications for the fourth edition of the Impulse programme are now open. Staff members interested in learning more or submitting a project are invited to consult the programme details and application form at:
👉 https://ucreate.ch/impulse/