Martin Heinlein and Jeroen Langejan are based in the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office at the University of Bremen, Germany. Their involvement in a regional collaboration project supporting student entrepreneurship has provided the opportunity to share their expertise and assist in monitoring the impact of the Inno4YUFE project’s pilot phase.

Our role in the Inno4YUFE project
Our role in Inno4YUFE is focused on monitoring progress, analysing impact, and evaluating the overall success of the project. As Inno4YUFE is in the pilot stage, it’s essential to audit each component of the project in line with the set KPIs in order to ensure that objectives are met and that recommendations can be made for long-term sustainability.

By collating feedback from the Inno4YUFE partners we are able to monitor activities and build best practices, learnings and developed resources into the project’s Transferability Plan, which will be used to inform future proposals for scaling-up and establishing the project beyond the pilot phase.

Collaboration across borders
At the University of Bremen, supporting our student innovators and entrepreneurs is integral to our offering as an institution. We are part of an established network of regional institutions, known as BRIDGE, that offers support, training and funding opportunities to students and alumni. By combining forces, our communities are able to widen the connections with experts across the region.

Our involvement in Inno4YUFE has allowed us the opportunity to share our expertise with institutions further afield and given us direct access to the ideas and know-how from centres across Europe dedicated to enhancing support for start-up businesses.

Making connections and collaborating with colleagues across the YUFE Alliance mirrors the culture we all strive to establish within our individual start-up support centres. Inno4YUFE presents ambitious goals, but by working together we can cross-check ideas and share knowledge and experience, making the process enjoyable and mutually beneficial in equal measure.

Benefits for students
The restrictions placed on movement during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the way many people consider travelling further afield to study. The exciting prospect about Inno4YUFE is the ability to bring together communities from various locations to work in collaboration via the YUFE Virtual Campus. Maximising on technical advances to share knowledge and resources enhances the student experience and adheres to market demand.

Having exposure to fellow entrepreneurs operating in foreign markets is invaluable. Not only does it allow students to widen their network, it enhances the opportunities for accessing expertise and facilitates the chance to learn about the potential benefits and challenges of expanding into a global marketplace.