13-03-2026
Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV) recently held another edition of Prototype Lab, an intensive workshop organized by the Entrepreneurship Center in which 25 students worked on 24 projects over the course of five days.
The initiative was part of the UFV's entrepreneurial ecosystem and was designed to transform initial ideas into evidence-based decisions through prototyping, validation, and applied learning in a real-world setting on campus.
Students during the Prototype Lab presentation,
The Entrepreneurship Center at UFV has launched the programme an intensive workshop in which participants have challenged the assumptions on which they had based their proposals. The program was carried out with the support of mentors and experts, and with the participation of a graduate-level professor who joined the initiative from within.
During the workshop, the teams focused on reviewing scenarios, identifying risks, and testing their approach with real users. The format was designed to accelerate learning and guide strategic decisions regarding whether to continue, adjust, or rethink each project.
Students participating in the Prototype Lab during the workshop sessions
The lab’s approach has been based on a user-centered methodology. Participants have moved from their initial intuitions toward a more precise definition of who each proposal was intended for, with the goal of aligning the project with real-world needs.
Over the course of five sessions, the teams identified and prioritized key hypotheses, refined the user profile, and built tangible prototypes. They then tested those prototypes with real people on campus and synthesized their findings to make decisions about the next steps.
Each participant completed the workshop with:
programme structure programme yielded concrete results for each team. Participants have completed the lab with a validated prototype, documented learnings, and decisions made about the future of their project, based on the information gathered during testing.
In some cases, teams have moved forward with greater clarity; in others, they have adjusted their approach based on the feedback received; and some participants have decided to abandon the idea after assessing its feasibility. The work has been approached as a process of applied discernment, aimed at strengthening judgment and decision-making skills.
Students from the Prototype Lab during one of the activities
One of the central elements of this edition has been collaborative work, with 25 projects running in parallel and sharing progress, questions, and insights. The lab’s structure has fostered exchange among teams and the comparison of learnings, with support from mentors and subject matter experts.
The involvement of a graduate-level professor has been incorporated as a distinguishing feature of this edition, as they have participated in the process and reinforced the idea that entrepreneurial learning has expanded to different academic levels.
The programme did programme require participants to publicly present their projects, but it did prepare the teams to decide when to present their results. The next scheduled milestone was Pitch Day in June, where some participants were able to discuss the progress of the work carried out during the lab.
In addition, the projects that have demonstrated the most progress and maturity have been eligible for Incub Lab, the advanced phase of the UFV’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, designed to consolidate initiatives with greater potential and long-term prospects.
With 24 projects validated, scrutinized, and refined, this edition of Prototype Lab has reinforced an entrepreneurial training model focused on user validation and informed decision-making. The lab has been designed as a tool to turn hypotheses into tests and tests into criteria, as part of a support program led by the Entrepreneurship Center at UFV.
These types of initiatives have been crucial because they have allowed students to test their ideas with real users, identify early on what worked and what didn’t, and make more informed decisions. In addition, working with mentors and in teams has reinforced hands-on learning and prepared participants to move forward with their projects both within and outside UFV.
