Entrepreneurship Festival
Accelerate and Celebrate Entrepreneurship

In this powerful learning experience, students from across the alliance are given the unique opportunity to work on challenging real-world business, innovation and research cases.

By learning to think, work and act in a broad, flexible and future-oriented way they prepare themselves for a future in entrepreneurship. Students will be challenged by local stakeholders to rethink their businesses and diversify their offerings whether these are products or services.

This LEXS is hosted by Howest University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with FHV - Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences and with the support of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences.

This Learner Exchange School (LEXS) is all about increasing entrepreneurship skills, knowledge and attitude. In a pressure cooker context, the students are challenged to transform ideas and innovations into feasible solutions for regional challenges that can end up in promising entrepreneurship. This ‘accelerator’ will confront students with the essentials of starting entrepreneurship. The participant goes through an entrepreneurial journey in five days. 

During the RUN-EU Entrepreneurial Festival on Thursday 13th of May all participants will compete for the best solution/ business idea. Their organisational skills and creativity will be put to the test! The festival will be concluded with a prize ceremony and afterparty.

During the LEXS students will work on the following themes:

• What is entrepreneurship and how does it arise?
• What problem does my innovation solve?
• The importance of the early-evangelist, connecting to the wishes of the ‘customer’.
• The usefulness of testing, trying, failing and adjusting.
• Where is my customer and how do I reach them?
• Who am I as an entrepreneur and innovator? 
• Do I have what I need?
• How are turnover, costs and margin connected?
• The secrets of building a customer relationship, branding and networking.
• Discovering my personal entrepreneurial mindset, leadership and creativity.
• How do I use rapid prototyping to present my solution.
• Prepare and deliver an impactful pitch.
• Essential cooperation with a variety of stakeholders: investors/partners and customers.
• Creating a business operational approach to begin their business.

During their week in Bruges, there will also be a chance to discover the rich history of Bruges and get a taste of Flanders' culture and hospitality!

If an entrepreneurial attitude and even entrepreneurship fits your ambitions and the role you want to fulfill in the business world later has these characteristics, this learning experience is a powerful way to grow in it. This vibrant week, is all about increasing entrepreneurship skills, knowledge and attitude. In a programmatic mix, we challenge you to transform innovations into promising entrepreneurial opportunities.