The future of higher education lies in its ability to generate real-world impact through applied research and the development of new business ventures. Within the EU4DUAL network, we are exploring innovative models of entrepreneurial mobility that move beyond traditional academic exchange. These models empower students to develop ideas, launch ventures, and build entrepreneurial competencies through engagement with multiple European partner institutions. The goal is not only to broaden educational horizons, but also to cultivate cross-border innovation and support the sustainable growth of European startups.

We advocate for an ecosystem-based approach to idea development, one that integrates academic knowledge, business acumen, and access to diverse RDI (research, development, and innovation) infrastructures to transform ideas into impactful innovations. Whether or not these experiences culminate in the creation of a startup, we believe this new form of international entrepreneurial mobility offers significant value. It supports experiential learning and nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurial minds at a European level.

While the establishment of startups may not be the primary outcome of every mobility experience, these exchanges help identify and develop high-potential individuals. They enhance participants’ skills and foster a European entrepreneurial mindset, ultimately enriching regional innovation ecosystems across Europe.

From Passive Exchange to Active Co-Creation

Traditional student mobility programs have typically focused on passive experiences such as attending courses, gaining cultural exposure, and earning academic credits. While these components have educational value, they fall short in addressing the demands of today’s innovation-driven global economy, where adaptability, creativity, and entrepreneurial initiative are essential. The EU4DUAL entrepreneurial mobility model represents a significant departure from this conventional approach by integrating dual studies, entrepreneurial education, and immersive engagement in real-world projects.

Initiatives such as the EU4DUAL Winter School and the Entrepreneurship Mobility Program (MOB’E) are reshaping how we approach learning and international collaboration. The second Winter School convened 70 participants who conducted market research for seven promising student-led startup concepts. Under the guidance of faculty from Savonia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), ESTIA Institute of Technology (France), and Mondragon Unibertsitatea (Spain), seven interdisciplinary and intercultural teams participated in a multi-city learning journey that combined academic instruction with business development, innovation sprints, and hands-on interaction with local startup ecosystems. Participants tackled authentic business challenges, refined their ideas through collaborative teamwork, and delivered final pitches to panels of industry experts.

Building on this momentum, three universities, now joined by FH Joanneum (Austria), are collaboratively developing the next generation of EU4DUAL Winter Schools in Entrepreneurship. The aim is to establish this as a flagship entrepreneurial learning experience open to all students across the EU4DUAL alliance. This initiative also serves as a pipeline for identifying high-potential student entrepreneurs who may continue their journey through MOB’E, a newly created network of European incubators dedicated to supporting students with strong innovative potential.

New Entrepreneurial Learning Models within the network

The EU4DUAL alliance is uniquely positioned to implement transformative educational models. Grounded in a strong foundation of dual education, which integrates academic study with work-based learning, the network is well-equipped to embed entrepreneurship across its curricula. By adding an entrepreneurial mobility component to this foundation, EU4DUAL empowers students not only to become skilled professionals but also to envision themselves as future entrepreneurs capable of advancing their own business ideas.

This model promotes locally anchored learning experiences enriched by international perspectives. Students interact with diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems across EU4DUAL partner institutions, gaining exposure to different market conditions, customer behaviors, and cultural contexts. A key feature of the initiative is cross-institutional collaboration: programs and courses are jointly designed and delivered by partner universities, aligning academic excellence with real-world business relevance. Critical to this process is shared access to resources across borders, including incubation hubs, mentoring, product and service testing facilities, funding instruments, and professional networks—all aimed at supporting students in transforming concepts into viable ventures.

The first entrepreneurial mobility experience took place in early 2024, when the EU4DUAL alliance launched its inaugural pilot in collaboration with Savonia University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and ESTIA (France). During this two-month program, French student Romane Forment received parallel support from both the Savonia Business Incubator and ESTIA Entreprendre. This dual-mentorship structure offered her tailored guidance, combining Finnish and French entrepreneurial expertise. Arriving as a student entrepreneur, Romane returned to France with a significantly evolved entrepreneurial mindset. Following the experience, she entered a pre-incubation phase and has since been fully incubated within a regional incubator in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The MOB’E experience has had a profound impact on her educational trajectory and facilitated her entry into the labor market, illustrating the transformative potential of international entrepreneurial collaboration.

Building a Framework for Entrepreneurial Mobility

To support and scale entrepreneurial mobility, the EU4DUAL network is developing a framework to institutionalize these practices. A central pillar of this framework is the creation of entrepreneurial learning tracks. One proposed scenario involves integrating entrepreneurship modules from multiple partner institutions, with a focus on ideation, access to local startup incubators, tangible resources for research and development, and support for venture scaling, including local market entry. Complementing these tracks is a network of interconnected incubators and accelerators, which allows students to continue developing their entrepreneurial projects seamlessly as they move between partner universities.

Currently, the practical implementation of entrepreneurial mobility relies on “traditional” internship contracts between the student, the hosting incubator, and the sending university. Looking ahead, the objective is to establish a unified system for credit transfer and recognition, ensuring that key entrepreneurial activities—such as business model development, prototyping, and market validation—are acknowledged across institutions. In parallel, mobility funding mechanisms are being adapted to meet the unique needs of entrepreneurial students, including support for travel, accommodation, and seed funding for cross-border projects.

This integrated approach aims to normalize entrepreneurial mobility as a legitimate and impactful component of higher education, rather than a niche opportunity. Within EU4DUAL, entrepreneurial mobility is emerging as a scalable model that can be embedded into the core practices of dual education providers. In doing so, we can better prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy, while also enhancing the resilience and vitality of regional innovation ecosystems. Europe holds vast untapped potential for student entrepreneurs to move freely, co-create solutions, and transform ideas into real-world impact.

The current European mobility program lays the foundation for an ambitious cross-country startup creation model, where student entrepreneurs from different countries can collaborate through their respective incubators on shared startup projects. These projects would involve co-creating companies in each country, sharing brand identity, research and development, outcomes, products and services, prototypes, market insights, sales approaches, and proof of sales. This collaborative model could significantly reduce the risk of failure, increase financial viability, enhance product-market fit, and harness cultural and contextual diversity as a strategic asset.

Once potential startup founders are identified, appropriate technologies are selected, and mutual trust is established among incubators, the essential conditions are in place to support this new model. Leveraging the full range of mobility and acceleration programs, such startups can be successfully launched and scaled across borders.

Authors:

Matti Laitinen, Innovation advisor, Business Center North-Savo, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Phone +358 44 785 6333, matti.laitinen@savonia.fi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattislaitinen/

Harri Holopainen, Innovation advisor, Business Center North-Savo, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Dr Jérémie Faham, Start Up Manager, ESTIA Entreprendre, Hub Estia

Phone +33 699578133, j.faham@estia.fr

https://www.linkedin.com/in/j%C3%A9r%C3%A9mie-faham-0436335a/

Arnaud Catinot, Startup Manager, ESTIA Entreprendre, Hub Estia

Sources:

First EU4DUAL entrepreneurship mobility in action

iDual entrepreneurships

Winter School 2025 (In Spain, Mondragon Unibertsitatea)

MOB’E initial initiative from HUB ESTIA

An example of MOB’E entrepreneurial mobility in action : EU4Dualers Podcast: Episode2 – Romane Forment

The European Dual Studies University