Throughout this project, we’ve learned from each other, challenged ourselves, and built lasting relationships across borders. Our partners have been reflecting on what Start’Ship has meant to them and their institutions.
DEMI UniNa Team
Working with student entrepreneurs through the Start’Ship program has been deeply stimulating for the entire DEMI team at the University of Naples Federico II. What surprised us most was the speed with which students transformed abstract concepts into concrete solutions, supported by mentors, companies, and practical tools. Many participants started with no entrepreneurial experience, yet quickly developed a strong mindset based on collaboration, experimentation, and resilience.
A key lesson is the value of learning by doing. While Creativity Workshops and Business Development sessions were important, students’ true potential emerged during hackathons, pitch competitions, and direct interaction with startup founders. These experiences helped internalize skills like problem validation, teamwork, and storytelling. Students learned to start from real needs: observing users, validating assumptions, and iterating continuously. This fostered critical thinking and understanding that entrepreneurship means building the right solution for the right people.
The project confirmed that innovative teaching approaches make entrepreneurship education far more effective when students face real-world scenarios and are encouraged to test, fail, adapt, and try again.
“Through Start’Ship, students didn’t just learn how to design a business – they learned how to observe reality, listen to users, and transform complexity into opportunity.” Roberto Vona, Program Coordinator of DEMI UniNa Start’Ship Team
“Start’Ship confirmed that entrepreneurship education is most effective when students are placed at the center of real challenges and supported by a strong ecosystem of mentors and practitioners.” Nadia di Paola, Local Coordinator of DEMI UniNa Start’Ship Team
“Start’Ship didn’t just teach students how to build startups – it taught them how to believe in their ideas and their ability to create change.” Silvia Cosimato, Member of DEMI UniNa Start’Ship Team
“Start’Ship created a strong bridge between the university and the regional business ecosystem, reinforcing long-term collaboration through hackathons, creativity workshops, and business development activities.” Nunzia Capobianco, Member of DEMI UniNa Start’Ship Team
WestBIC Team
Leading the Impact and Dissemination work package for Start’Ship has been a rewarding journey in connecting entrepreneurship education with real-world innovation ecosystems across Europe.
From the outset, our role was to ensure the project’s learnings and outcomes reached beyond the immediate partnership. We developed a comprehensive dissemination strategy that guided our communications throughout the project, defining our key messages, identifying target audiences from policymakers to educators to students themselves, and establishing the channels and tools to reach them effectively. Managing the project website and social media presence allowed us to create a digital hub where the Start’Ship story unfolded in real-time, showcasing student successes, sharing resources, and building a community around student entrepreneurship.
What made this work particularly meaningful was seeing theory meet practice. The hackathons brought this to life, watching Irish companies engage directly with students, sharing real business challenges and witnessing the creative solutions that emerged. These weren’t just educational exercises; they were genuine collaborations that demonstrated the value student entrepreneurs can bring to established businesses.
As we developed the exploitation and sustainability plan, it became clear that Start’Ship’s impact extends far beyond the project timeline. The frameworks, resources, and connections we’ve built provide a foundation for continued collaboration in student entrepreneurship across the Atlantic Area.
Working with this partnership has reinforced our belief that entrepreneurship education thrives when it’s collaborative, practical, and connected to real business ecosystems. The energy, creativity, and potential we’ve witnessed from student entrepreneurs throughout Start’Ship has been genuinely inspiring.
