EU GREEN gives students the chance to go on an entrepreneurial journey

Innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of Work Package Four (WP4) of EU GREEN. Through various inspirational sessions, students have the opportunity to develop their business ideas.

– One of the most important moments was learning how to effectively pitch our business idea and present it in a convincing way. Practicing how to communicate our ideas in a concise and engaging way has given us valuable insights into how to reach different audiences. It has also helped us become more confident in our presentations, which is a skill we will benefit from for a long time to come, says student Adam Segerkvist, who participated in the work package.

"It's about daring to develop your idea"

WP4 is basically aimed solely at students.

– We have put it together as an arrangement we call "the entrepreneurial journey" and it consists of the elements: inspiration day, innovation day, online workshops, mentoring program, entrepreneurship festival. The idea is that students will have the opportunity to develop their ideas and develop a business plan, all with a sustainability perspective, says Anna Bäcklund, coordinator for innovation and utilization and coordinator for WP4 at the University of Gävle.

She also mentions that Drivhuset, which helps students with entrepreneurship, is no longer at the university, as it was before. This arrangement is an alternative to support students who dream of becoming entrepreneurs.

– It's about having the courage to develop your idea and see solutions, to collaborate and also help each other develop ideas.

Felix Nilsson has worked together with Adam Segerkvist and within WP4 they had the opportunity to go to Évora in Portugal and meet other students and EU GREEN representatives to discuss entrepreneurship.

– It was an incredibly inspiring experience. We had the chance to network and share ideas with people from different countries and backgrounds who are all passionate about sustainability and innovation. The discussions and collaboration gave us new perspectives and ideas that we can bring to our own work. It was also uplifting to be part of a larger network where everyone is working towards common goals.

Text: Anna Sällberg