The South East Technological University is to partner in a €1.34m project to boost entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The funding’s been awarded as part of a European consortium delivering the Balanced and Enhanced Collaboration for an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (BECEE) scheme.
Led by Rachel O’Dowd, Prof. Helen Hughes, and Dr Ultan Mc Carthy from SETU’s Department of Land Sciences, with Dr James O’Sullivan, Head of Innovation and Commercialisation at SETU, it will be delivered in close collaboration with Professor Bill O’Gorman of Dungarvan Enterprise Centre. And it’s supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), with cross-funding and endorsement from EIT Digital, EIT Climate, EIT Food, and EIT Health.
The regional facility will be joined by Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland) and Universiteti “Aleksandër Moisiu” Durrës (Albania) in working with four innovation-driven enterprises of KPN (Eindhoven, Netherlands), Innofuse (Zurich, Switzerland), Dungarvan Enterprise Centre (Ireland), and Linda Laboratory (Durrës, Albania).
Professor Helen Hughes says; “We are hugely excited by the opportunity to be part of this excellent European consortium furthering innovative solutions, strengthening and supporting our entrepreneurial talent in the region in conjunction with our industrial partner Dungarvan Enterprise Centre. It further strengthens the focus and expertise available within the Department of Land Sciences for entrepreneurship that has been developing across the last decade.”
The BECEE project will have a tangible impact on regional and national entrepreneurship by developing practical, scalable models to support innovators, start-ups and SMEs. Activities will include training, mentorship, policy development, and new pathways for academic-industry engagement—all contributing to SETU’s strategic ambition of connecting for impact.
Dr James O’Sullivan noted, “This initiative reflects SETU’s deepening commitment to delivering innovation and knowledge exchange across our region, working hand in hand with our enterprise partners to create a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The project is already underway and will roll out activities over the next two years across the partner regions. It aligns strongly with SETU’s focus on collaboration, regional development, and addressing key societal challenges through innovation.
