Redefining and Democratizing Educational Innovation in Health: Case Study of Soberana – Education Concept in Dentistry

This article presents a case study of the pedagogical model implemented by Soberana – Educação Conceito, a Brazilian Odontology EdTech that integrates three core pillars: early clinical practice, the development of entrepreneurial competencies, and a health innovation hub — an institutional space that fosters the creation, incubation, and acceleration of innovative projects. The study is set in the Brazilian context, where health-related degree programs, particularly in smaller and rural cities, face high dropout rates and often graduate professionals who struggle to enter the labor market. The investigation examines how the integration of professional practice from the first semester, courses focused on management and entrepreneurship, the development of applied projects, and partnerships with companies and public agencies can mitigate the phenomenon known as skills mismatch — the gap between the competencies developed in training and the actual demands of the productive sector. The methodology combines institutional document analysis, a structured literature review in academic databases, and an examination of secondary data from official national and international sources. Findings indicate that Soberana’s model brings academic training closer to market requirements, especially in regions with a limited supply of professionals, by providing technology-supported clinical care from the outset, delivering management and marketing content, and offering concrete opportunities for innovation. It is concluded that integrating early clinical practice, innovation, and entrepreneurial competencies constitutes a viable strategy to reduce dropout rates, enhance employability, and align training with local productive dynamics, offering evidence to inform public policy and inspire other higher education institutions in health, particularly within regional Brazilian contexts.