In 2025, the project Ukrainian Academic Integration to the European Union Startup Ecosystem: Link to Best Practices (EUSLink), implemented at Lviv Polytechnic National University with the support of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Programme, continues to share the best practices and experiences of the European Union in the field of startup development and innovative entrepreneurship. The project aims to provide Ukrainian students, young scientists and entrepreneurs with access to advanced EU knowledge and tools, as well as to create a platform for international cooperation and exchange of ideas.
The key event of the 2024–2025 academic year was the EUSLink Spring School, which brought together 382 participants, 167 of whom received certificates for successful completion of the programme. At the school the students, postgraduates, young scientists and entrepreneurs had the opportunity to develop their own innovative ideas. For more than 30 hours of training sessions, they were learning about startup ecosystems and innovation support practices in the European Union countries, in particular in Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Hungary.
The school’s programme integrated both theoretical and practical components. Key speakers were:
- Liudmyla Fridrikh, who presented EU tools for supporting entrepreneurship;
- Stanislaw Alwasiak, who spoke about innovation and funding mechanisms in the European Union;
- Oksana Khymych, who shared the Dutch experience of commercializing scientific knowledge;
- Oleksandr Krakovetsky, who presented the possibilities of artificial intelligence in modern ecosystems;
- Diana Berezhna, who highlighted the possibilities of EIT programs;
- Prof. Arnault Barichella, who examined the issues of AI regulation and cybersecurity;
- Jacob Dalhoff, who focused on the development of mil-tech startups;
- Greg Geris, who analyzed cultural factors that influence the formation of an innovative environment.
An equally important part of the project was the EUSLink BootCamps, which were attended by 133 participants. Among them there were students of Lviv Polytechnic National University, Stryi College of Lviv National Agrarian University, Technology College at Lviv Polytechnic, Lviv Cooperative College, as well as young scientists and entrepreneurs. Pitching sessions were held as part of the bootcamps, presenting 39 startup projects in the areas of artificial intelligence, SaaS technologies, service platforms, specialized mobile applications and widgets, augmented reality technologies, hardware solutions in the energy and defense sectors, as well as marketplaces and assistant applications.
The final highlight of the year was the follow-up meeting, which provided participants with the opportunity to receive mentoring support and expert consultations aimed at improving business models and determining strategic directions for further development.
Summing up the activities in 2025, it can be stated that EUSLink has become an important platform for disseminating EU experience in the field of startup development and implementing best practices both in the activities of Ukrainian innovative startups and in the work of institutions of the national startup ecosystem.
