The European project “CREA Summer Academy”, funded under Horizon 2020, sees the Department of Design at the Politecnico di Milano as the lead partner of a European network of universities, incubators, and development agencies.
CREA aims to establish a European Network of Summer Academies to promote entrepreneurial culture, especially among university students, PhD candidates, and post-docs/research fellows. The three pillars of CREA are Creativity, ICT, and Entrepreneurship, with the goal of internationally scouting innovative start-up ideas in these areas.
The objective of CREA is to involve as many students as possible from all Italian and European universities (students, graduates within one year, PhD candidates, and post-docs/research fellows can apply).
CREA Summer Academy – Creativity & ICT for new entrepreneurship
CREA is a European Network of Summer Academies for the development of innovative business ideas driven by Creativity and ICT, along with a Business Idea Contest to connect these start-ups with investors and business angels.
Are you a creative PhD or Post-doc student? Do you have an amazing idea? Could you change the future through ICT? Do you want to become an entrepreneur?
Until 15th May 2015, candidates from all over Europe can apply for one of the 6 CREA Summer Academies:
Newcastle (UK) 15th -28th June;
Utrecht (Netherlands) 6th -17th July;
Ljubljana (Slovenia) 12th -22nd July;
Tallinn (Estonia) 17th -28th August;
Lake Constance (Germany) 7th Sept. -18th Sept.;
Lake Como (Italy) 14th -27th September.
The call, published on the CREA website (www.creasummeracademy.eu) and on www.f6s.com/crea, is open to students and PhD candidates enrolled in a European university (until one year after the degree) and to Post Docs working in a European university.
Each Summer Academy focuses on the development of entrepreneurial skills using ICT and Creativity as levers. Each University has a different area of expertise and students will meet experienced lecturers and business professionals who will guide them through their entrepreneurial journey. It’s possible to participate individually or in teams by submitting a business idea.
The aim of the Summer Academies is to create teams of youngsters with strong entrepreneurial capacities; in fact, the first days of training are dedicated to team building activities.
Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2015, on F6S (www.f6s.com/crea), one of the most important platforms for start-ups.
Those selected for the CREA Summer Academy will only pay for their travel and accommodation and will go through three main steps: an intensive training session, a following mentoring and prototyping phase, and participation in one international event: the CREA International Business Idea Contest.
At the end of the two weeks of intensive training sessions, teams will be supported by experts in a mentoring phase that will include a Rapid Prototyping session to realize the first prototypes of the business ideas. A qualified jury will select the two best business ideas emerging from each Summer Academy to be presented at the CREA International Business Idea Contest in November 2015, where the young start-uppers will present their projects in front of a panel of investors. Winning participants will have access to incubation services offered by incubators from all over Europe.
For more information:
creacademy-design@polimi.it
