Lead Europe’s Next Transformation
Where next gen leaders master entrepreneurial strategy, leadership, and AI fluency and make transformation real
The Executive Master in Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership (EMDIEL) is Europe’s leading Executive Master for entrepreneurial leadership in digital and AI-powered transformation designed for ambitious professionals ready to drive innovation and long-term competitiveness in their organizations.
Why choose our digital transformation executive programme?
Across Europe, precision, engineering excellence, and industrial heritage are meeting a new frontier - software, data, and artificial intelligence. EMDIEL equips high-potential leaders and next-generation successors with the mindset and tools to turn this shift into real impact.Through a transformational journey spanning Berlin, Paris, Turin, Shanghai, and Silicon Valley, participants master three pillars of modern leadership:
- Entrepreneurial Strategy: sensing and seizing new opportunities to transform the business
- Leadership Skills: building resilience, clarity, and inspiration for others
- AI Fluency: understanding and applying the power of data and emerging technologies
This is not just another master’s degree, it’s a movement for Europe’s next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
Why Choose EMDIEL?
Learn to Lead Transformation, Not Just Manage It
EMDIEL gives you the mindset, methods, and confidence to turn digital change into tangible business results. You’ll master entrepreneurial strategy, leadership, and AI fluency to drive real impact across your organization.
Designed for Europe’s Next Generation of Leaders
Tailored to emerging corporate leaders and family firm successors, the program helps you modernize without losing your legacy combining business renewal with purpose, responsibility, and innovation.
A Global Journey Across Five Innovation Hubs
Learn and network in Berlin, Paris, Turin, Shanghai, and Silicon Valley connecting Europe’s entrepreneurial tradition with the world’s leading technology ecosystems.
The Trusted Entrepreneurial Leader Model
Guided by ESCP’s research–practice–tech leadership team, EMDIEL integrates academic rigor, entrepreneurial experimentation, and AI insights to develop leaders who are trusted to innovate.
A Powerful Network & Ecosystem
Join a pan-European community of founders, innovators, and corporate change-makers. Leverage ESCP’s Blue Factory, corporate partnerships, and alumni network to scale your impact far beyond the classroom.
A Flexible Executive Pathway
Choose your format: Certificate or full MSc and balance your studies with professional responsibilities. Both paths offer a transformational experience, global modules, and a degree that signals credibility and ambition.
Learn by Doing Safely
Through your Personal Transformation Project, apply everything you learn to a live corporate challenge or venture prototype. Benefit from mentoring, review boards, and protected experimentation time that de-risk bold ideas and accelerate innovation.
Designed by a Unique Academic Directorship Team
Learn from a world-class team combining research, practice, and AI leadership:
- Prof. Dr. Christoph Seckler – Academic excellence in entrepreneurial strategy and the Four-I innovation framework.
- Dr. Stefan Groß-Selbeck – Industry authority, former CEO of Xing and Managing Partner at BCG Digital Ventures.
Together, they represent EMDIEL’s distinctive research–practice–tech DNA shaping a new breed of trusted entrepreneurial leaders.
Benefits
Make transformation happen at every level: personal, organizational, and societal.
EMDIEL empowers you to grow as a leader, drive impact in your organization, and contribute to Europe’s digital and entrepreneurial future.
1
For yourself: Lead with confidence and clarity: Master entrepreneurial strategy, leadership, and AI fluency to become the trusted leader who makes transformation real.
2
For your project: Turn ideas into impact: Apply what you learn through a live transformation project, combining bold experimentation with hands-on mentoring and AI-driven insight.
3
For your firm: : Drive renewal and growth: Lead digital and cultural change that strengthens your company’s competitiveness and inspires teams to innovate with purpose.
4
For Europe: Shape the future of responsible innovation: Join a new generation of leaders uniting industrial excellence with digital intelligence to build a stronger, more entrepreneurial Europe.
What You Will Learn
Three pillars. One transformational journey.
Master entrepreneurial strategy, leadership, and AI fluency, the essential capabilities to lead transformation with confidence and purpose. EMDIEL leverages a unique experiential learning model to help you become the entrepreneurial leader you aspire to be.
Through an immersive blend of international modules, live transformation projects, and evidence-based leadership development, you’ll gain the tools, skills, and mindset to make transformation real for yourself, your organisation, and society at large.
What You’ll Gain from the EMDIEL Experience
Entrepreneurial Strategy
Develop the strategic insight and entrepreneurial courage to identify, seize, and scale opportunities in a fast-changing world.
- Sense new opportunities: Explore and define the future direction of your firm through deep scanning of technological, economic, and geopolitical shifts. Learn to anticipate change in the Age of AI and beyond.
- Seize opportunities: Build and manage a portfolio of innovation initiatives from intrapreneurship to corporate venturing to drive growth and renewal across business units.
- Transform the business: Adapt strategy, structures, and systems to embed innovation at the core of your organisation and ensure long-term competitiveness.
Leadership Skills
Master the real practice of leadership grounded in research, tested in the field, and focused on skills that make measurable impact.
- Lead yourself with awareness and resilience: Strengthen self-leadership, emotional intelligence, and stress-management using evidence-based methods proven to enhance clarity, confidence, and adaptability.
- Lead others through trust and influence: Apply research-validated approaches to communication, motivation, and conflict management to build teams that perform under pressure.
- Lead change with purpose and courage : Turn vision into execution through empowerment, delegation, and positive leadership fostering transformation that endures.
AI Fluency & Emerging Technologies
- Understand, apply, and lead with artificial intelligence and digital innovation not as a technical expert, but as a strategic leader.
- Understand and frame AI for strategic advantage: Build fluency in AI concepts and assess how data and algorithms can reshape business models, operations, and decision-making.
- Deploy AI-led innovation and transformation: Move from pilot projects to enterprise-scale impact by integrating AI into core processes and value creation.
Redefine leadership for the age of AI
Graduates of the Executive Master in Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership (EMDIEL) step into strategic roles that drive transformation and renewal within their organizations. They lead digital, innovation, and AI initiatives, strengthen business units, and guide companies through change and succession. Many advance into positions such as Head of Transformation, Chief Innovation Officer, Strategy Director, or Managing Director within family enterprises. EMDIEL alumni stand out for their entrepreneurial mindset, strategic vision, and ability to turn transformation into lasting impact.
What our graduates say
“The programme helps innovation managers like me to work more as an entrepreneur in their company and to become faster in their projects. Getting to know the latest tools and methods, the EMDIEL prepares you systematically for being an entrepreneur.”
Victor Thoma
Head of Process Mining at ERGO Group
"A perfect blend of theory and practice with expert professors in their respective field. Each module was thoughtfully organized for maximum benefit, and networking events allowed us to connect with alumni and influential figures from tech ecosystems.”
Hind Nadji
Finance Manager, Finance Digital Transformation
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.
A Transformational Learning Journey Across Europe and Beyond
The Executive Master in Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership (EMDIEL) combines academic excellence, practical application, and global exposure to help you lead transformation with confidence in the age of AI.
Through 7 interconnected modules delivered across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., you will explore the full arc of entrepreneurial leadership from sensing and seizing opportunities to transforming your organisation.
EMDIEL follows a carefully designed three-stage logic:
- Sensing opportunities: explore how AI, data, and global shifts are redefining markets and industries.
- Seizing opportunities: build and scale innovation initiatives that create real business value.
- Transforming the firm: lead structural and cultural renewal to ensure sustainable impact.
Immersive Executive Curriculum Across 5 Global Innovation Hubs
Berlin - Paris - Turin - Shanghai - San Francisco
The Executive Master in Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership (EMDIEL) takes participants on a transformative learning journey across seven immersive modules in five global innovation hubs. Each destination offers a vibrant context for exploring entrepreneurial leadership, digital transformation, and strategic innovation. Blending world-class faculty insights with real-world challenges, EMDIEL equips executives to reimagine business models, lead with vision, and create lasting impact across industries and geographies.
7 International Modules in Berlin, Paris, Turin, Shanghai & San Francisco
The programme consists of 7 modules taking place in Berlin, Paris, Turin, Shanghai and San Francisco, as well as an online project mentoring stream and an online research stream.
You can finish the programme after 18 months with a certificate, or continue on for another 6 months to add module 6 “Research methods”, write your thesis, and finish with the degree Master of Science.
Core Modules in Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Seven immersive weeks, one transformational journey
The EMDIEL experience unfolds across seven intensive in-person module weeks held in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. combining global exposure with deep experiential learning. Each week connects strategy, leadership, and AI fluency around a common goal: helping you sense new opportunities, seize innovation-driven growth, and transform your organisation for lasting impact.
Week 1: Paris (October 2026) Leading Strategic Transformation
Launch your EMDIEL journey in Paris with a shared induction week. Build community, align on purpose, and explore how to lead transformation in the digital and AI era. Experience immersive sessions, team challenges, and exposure to Europe’s innovation landscape that set the tone for your learning journey. Week 2: Berlin (January 2027)
Week 2: Berlin (January 2027) Sensing Opportunities in the Age of AI
Understand how AI reshapes industries and value chains. Strengthen your ability to sense emerging trends, analyse competitive dynamics, and identify opportunities for renewal. Gain practical tools for strategy, innovation, and decision-making under uncertainty.
Week 3: Shanghai (March 2027) Sensing Opportunities in a New Geopolitical & Economic Reality
Explore Asia’s fast-moving ecosystems to understand how technological and geopolitical transformations create new growth arenas. Combine entrepreneurial opportunity sensing with cross-cultural leadership skills to navigate global complexity.
Week 4: Berlin / Paris (June 2027) Seizing Opportunities: Rethinking Corporate Innovation & Reinventing Business Models
Translate insights into impact. Learn to build and manage portfolios of innovation initiatives — from intrapreneurship to corporate venturing and venture clienting. Redesign business models and value propositions to scale entrepreneurial impact within your organisation.
Week 5: Turin (October 2027) Transforming the Corporate & the Family Firm
On your path to designing entrepreneurial organisations and mastering entrepreneurial leadership, you will learn how to think big, create branding strategies, and lead with values.
Week 6: San Francisco (March 2028) Innovation & Tech Deep Dive
Immerse yourself in Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem. Engage with entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate innovators to explore how emerging technologies especially AI are transforming strategy, business models, and leadership.
Week 7: Berlin (June 2028) Capstone: Advancing Entrepreneurial Leadership
Conclude your EMDIEL journey by integrating all learning dimensions. Present your Personal Transformation Project, reflect on your growth as an entrepreneurial leader, and define your next leadership horizon.
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.
A Diverse, Global Community of Innovation Leaders
Who You’ll Learn With: Your ESCP Executive Peers
Your peers are an integral part of your learning experience at ESCP. As a participant in the Executive Master in Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership, you will share your journey with a diverse group of professionals. We select participants from a variety of cultural and industry backgrounds, and with different career trajectories: from entrepreneurs to startup employees and corporate intrapreneurs. Through this mix, we ensure a rewarding environment with many different perspectives.
A Cohort Built for Innovation (pour les stats)
Average number of nationalities
Average age
Average years of work experience
Where They Go Next: The EMDIEL Alumni Network
When you join the EMDIEL programme, you become part and a very diverse group of alumni - some working for large corporations or venture capital firms, others managing their own businesses - as well as the extensive ESCP network of startups, accelerators, incubators, and the ESCP Blue Factory.
Meet the Alumni: Founders, Innovators, Intrapreneurs
Networking & Alumni Benefits from the Entrepreneurship Master
As part of the ESCP Alumni, you’ll enjoy access to a truly global network of contacts: over 75,000 business leaders in more than 200 countries. The ESCP Alumni Association offers fun and exciting opportunities to plug into this international network via the national alumni associations, and organizes a range of events and regular reunions across the world.
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.
Admission Process for the Executive Master in Entrepreneurial Leadership
Admission to the Executive Master in Entrepreneurial Leadership requires a university degree and a minimum of three years of professional experience. Candidates seeking Executive Leadership Programme financing can explore scholarships and tuition funding options, ensuring accessibility for global leaders in digital innovation and business transformation.
Admission Requirements for Executive Candidates
- Business administration knowledge recommended
- Proficiency in English
- A Bachelor or Master’s degree
- A minimum of 3 years of professional Experience
Application Procedure: 3 Steps to Join the Programme
Our application and admission procedure has three steps.
Step 1: Online Submission
You’ll need the following documents:
- Completed online application form
Please get in touch with the Programme Manager / Admissions Manager. - A recent CV
- Academic Background: copies of all diplomas and degree awards with full-grade transcripts
- A motivation letter
- 2 Reference letters
Step 2: Personal Interview with the Admissions Committee
Candidates whose application has been successful will be invited to attend the second stage of the process, a personal interview with members of the Admission Committee made up of ESCP academics and selected experts in the field of digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
Step 3: Final Admission Decision
The Admission Committee conducts a full review of your application and reaches a final decision. All eligible candidates will receive a letter of acceptance within 2 weeks after the interview.
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.
Fees & Financing Options for the Executive Master
Tuition Fees for the Certificate and Master of Science Options
The fees for the certificate are €35,000, the fees for the Master of Science are €38,000.
Tuition fees are set for the 2026/27 academic year. This covers accomodation in Shanghai and Silicon Valley, social and networking events included in the programme schedule.
Participants who have submitted their online application by January 15th and who have been admitted to the EMDIEL will receive a 15% Early Bird discount.
Scholarships and Financial Support for Executive Participants
Scholarships are offered to admitted participants on a case-by-case basis.
Our scholarship options are as follows:
- Young Entrepreneurs: Supports candidates with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, either involved in a startup or planning to launch one post-EMDIEL.
- Women in Entrepreneurship/Leadership: Aimed at self-funding female candidates demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities and a commitment to advancing women in business/entrepreneurship.
- Profiles in NGO: For candidates working in the nonprofit or NGO sector who have shown dedication to social impact.
- Diversity: Targets self-funding applicants from emerging market countries or those who believe their cultural background can significantly contribute to ESCP's international classroom.
Candidates must have completed their application and been accepted onto the programme before they can apply for a scholarship.
For further information regarding eligibility and conditions, including other financing options, please get in touch with Alison Masse.
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.
Take the Next Step: Join the Executive Master in Digital Innovation & Leadership
Enroll in the Executive Master in Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership at ESCP Business School and become a global leader in entrepreneurship, business innovation, and digital transformation.
Contact Our Admissions Team for More Information
Are you thinking about applying to ESCP’s EMDIEL and would like further information about the programme? Reach out to us!
Visit Our Berlin Campus
It's important to get a good feel for the right programme for you. If you live in or happen to be travelling to Berlin, we offer personalised visits to our Berlin Campus. Please reserve a time here or reach out to amasse@escp.eu for more information.
Meet our current cohort, faculty and alumni! Join us on ESCP’s Berlin campus on February 20th for pitches, chats, and drinks.
Learn About the Executive Master in Our Info Sessions & Webinars
Get to know your future teachers in our free webinars. Sign up for our next online info session on November 14, 2025 and learn about entrepreneurial innovation and the EMDIEL.
Online
Events
Online Info Sessions
News
Discover our Programme
Blue Factory
Blue Factory ESCP guides entrepreneurs, students and graduates from the initial idea
to the international development of their projects. Discover our three programmes: Start, Seed and Scale that
are made for every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship developed the Executive Master of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Together with a network of experts, we created an agile and inspiring learning environment that allows participants to develop entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and to shape digital innovation opportunities.