University matching in Santander X Explorer

At Santander X Explorer,** we encourage participating higher education institutions to “connect” with one another: **this is what we call university matching. In this way, the role of the centres goes beyond acting merely as a channel to promote calls for applications or providing support through Coordinators (where this role exists within the university), depending on each institution’s level of involvement. It goes much further than that.

Through this initiative, we aim to turn Explorer into a space for cooperation and dialogue around the** development of institutional entrepreneurship ecosystems.** Thanks to this tool, universities can build connections not only with the programme itself, but also with one another.

The exchange of experiences also brings added value to Coordinators, who find in this initiative an additional source of motivation. The programme stops being perceived as a “burden” and instead becomes a place for connection and support, where new ideas can emerge and continue to grow.

Moreover, university matching provides international exposure for both the universities and the Explorers participating in the programme through them, making the most of the opportunities that potential agreements between institutions may offer.

The university matching process

From the programme’s side, the process for connecting institutions begins with a WhatsApp message sent through the dedicated channels for Coordinators. From there:

• The process is open to all centres participating in the current edition of Santander X Explorer, regardless of their level of involvement.

• Institutions have two weeks to sign up.

• Interested universities complete a form, where they must indicate the level of development (from 1 to 3) of their entrepreneurship ecosystem.

• The Explorer team reviews the applications and matches the institutions. The aim is for both universities to benefit from the exchange of information, which is why criteria include, for example, matching institutions that share a common language but are based in different countries, or whose ecosystems are at a similar stage of development.

Connecting and learning

University matching becomes effective once our team puts the institutions in contact with one another. From that point onwards, a set of guidelines is suggested (each centre is free to implement them or not, and to do so in the way they see fit) in order to make cooperation smoother and more effective.

• Information exchange. The first meeting, in which each centre explains how its entrepreneurship ecosystem works and is organised, may involve only the two university Coordinators. This initial step allows for a more personal, direct and close exchange of knowledge. For example, this is an opportunity to explain how Santander X Explorer is used to achieve specific objectives and to present different initiatives currently under way.

• Scalable meetings. After this first contact, each university match (usually two institutions, though sometimes up to three) decides on** the frequency of meetings and how they will be organised.** Ideally, future meetings will involve additional stakeholders, such as Explorers from each centre, other faculty members or associations. One of the proposed actions at this stage is an online networking session between students from both universities.

• Open-ended duration. The match can last as long as the participating centres wish. They decide both the frequency of the meetings and how long they want to maintain this exchange of information.

University matching in Explorer: benefits

The main benefit is clear: the connection created between institutions. Thanks to the meetings facilitated through the matching process, Santander X Explorer Coordinators gain access to contacts that other departments within their institutions may not normally reach. This opens the door to:

• Networking: learning about other ecosystems and even other areas of entrepreneurship, naturally leads to the identification of synergies and opportunities to collaborate.

• New environments: the experience highlights** different realities and practices** that can be taken into account.

This is how María Inmaculada Muñoz Pliego, Santander X Explorer Coordinator at the University of A Coruña, describes it: “University matching has been a key opportunity to generate networking, break down borders and create real value for both institutions and students. Our experience began in 2025, when we were matched with the Metropolitan Polytechnic University of Hidalgo (Mexico). Both Coordinators connected to share our entrepreneurship ecosystems and best practices, and later evolved into another session involving Explorers from each country. Finally, we held a meeting within our own university to explore potential pathways for the international expansion of projects. After such an enriching experience, we decided to continue supporting this initiative and are already preparing the next matching, this time with the Catholic University of Santa Fe (Argentina).”

Edition after edition, university matching brings institutions together and creates spaces for connection where educational centres support one another through new ideas and perspectives, always with the same goal: to continue enriching entrepreneurship ecosystems.

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