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Would you be interested in turning your research into real-world impact? Join our BIP in Mainz, explore the commercial possibilities develop further ideas and network! This is a great opportunity to everyone who is interested in developing their research ideas into something bigger!

This Academic Entrepreneurship BIP is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for success in academic and professional settings. The five-day onsite program blends networking, learning, and practical application, culminating in a group pitch of a business idea to a jury. The program aims to help participants develop an entrepreneurial mindset, identify key skills, and explore strategies to apply these skills in their careers.

To prepare the participants, we will provide a comprehensive reading list for self-study and invite them to preparatory workshops. The program will also include a virtual introductory meeting and a two-day virtual Bootcamp (one day with a 2.5-hour online workshop and a second day with a 2-hour Q&A, evaluation, and exchange session).

For whom?

JYU grants 5 scholarships for doctoral students to this BIP. The mobility is primarily aimed at doctoral students who are not employed by JYU. In case not all five spots are filled up with doctoral students who are not employed by JYU, also doctoral students who are employed by JYU may get selected to attend the event.

 

Funding

• Doctoral students who are not employed by JYU will receive the Erasmus+ blended short-term mobility grant for students. Information on the grant can be found here.
• The mobility will be carried out as an for those doctoral students who are employed by JYU. Please note the terms and conditions for Erasmus+ staff training mobility will apply in this case.
   

Organizers:

Nicole Birkle, WP8 Manager, General Secretary, JGU
Georg Pantelidis, WP8 and WP7 Task manager, JGU
Michael Fuchs, Head of Unit Transfer, JGU
Christine Göhring, Head of Start-up Center, JGU
Reija Häkkinen, JYU Start-up Factory and FORTHEM GA
Jarno Mikkonen, JYU
Agnese Rusakova, WP8 and WP7 Task manager, UL
Agnese Lastovska, expert for entrepreneurial skills development at UL
Ana Maria Acu, WP8 Task Leader Connect Doctoral Schools, Prof. for Mathematics, ULBS

Schedule and Agenda of the BIP

Application for participants 
Participant nomination by partner universities: until June 30, 2025

Reading time for the materials sent until August 2025

Virtual Introductory session 
Approx. September 3, 2025
 

Actual workshop -week in Mainz

Day 1 8.9.2025 
 

• Arrival and check-in 
• Evening: Informal welcome and networking event (This event will allow participants to network with peers and organizers and share their backgrounds).

Day 2 9.9.2025 
 

• Welcome Note: Prof. Dr. Stefan Müller-Stach, Vice President for Research and Early Career Academics 
• Awareness Raising and Entrepreneurial Skills Development Trainers: Agnese Lastovska / Anna Rosinus 
• Content: Basic business planning incl. market analysis, positioning and business model design 
• Goal: Finalization of a short pitch presentation 

Day 3 10.9.2025 
 

• First Group Pitches and Academic Entrepreneurship Trainers: Anna Rosinus / Agnese Lastovska 
• Content: Pitches, Transfer to academic entrepreneurship, i.e., to the academic projects the participants work on 
• Goal: Sketch of a fictive crowdfunding campaign

Day 4 11.9.2025 
 

• Start-up financing & IPP Trainers: Reija Häkkinen / Jarno Mikkonen 
• Keynote: Christopher Hilgert 
• Content: Introduction to startup funding and support institutions such as grants institutions, incubators, accelerators 
• Goal: Understanding how incubators and accelerators can support academic activities

Day 5 12.9.2025 
 

• Group Pitch and Closing Reija Häkkinen / Jarno Mikkonen

Virtual Workshop YES Approx. 17.9.2024 

We will incorporate a second module from the YES-workshops, named “Your Entrepreneurial Career”. This module focuses on exploring alternative career paths, understanding the concepts of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, engaging in exchange and networking with role models from the business world, and reflecting on your own potential entrepreneurial career.

Virtual Closing session Approx. 18.9.2024 

Closing session for Q&A, evaluation and feedback (2 h)
 

Compliance with FORTHEM Values

Our BIP on Academic Entrepreneurship aligns seamlessly with the values of the FORTHEM Alliance by addressing key themes from Work Package 8 of the Research and Innovation Missions. It supports the "Academy for Early Career Researchers" by focusing on developing entrepreneurial skills among emerging academics. This initiative promotes FORTHEM’s commitment to excellence in education and research through practical, interdisciplinary training that empowers participants to drive innovation and societal impact. By integrating entrepreneurial thinking into their academic pursuits, we enhance the capability of the next generation of researchers to contribute meaningfully to their fields and the broader European higher education landscape. Through this approach, we advance FORTHEM’s vision of a connected and forward-thinking academic community.