CURATE Incubator: Second boot camp concludes in Münster

The CURATE Incubator program entered its final phase with the second international boot camp, which took place in mid-September at the University of Münster and thus also at the REACH – EUREGIO Start-up Center. What began in the spring at the Technical University of Košice (TUKE) in Slovakia brought together students, universities, and companies from all over Europe over a period of five months – united by a common goal: innovation through collaboration.

CURATE is a satellite project of Ulysseus European University and creates learning spaces where students from different academic, cultural, and personal backgrounds work together on real-world business challenges. In doing so, they not only strengthen their AI literacy, but also develop their entrepreneurial mindset, digital skills, and ability for interdisciplinary co-creation.

Why internationalization matters – especially for the founders of tomorrow

In a globally networked economic world, internationalization is a key success factor for start-ups and innovation projects. Working in intercultural teams not only promotes the ability to collaborate across language and cultural boundaries, it also creates a deeper understanding of international markets, user needs, and social dynamics.

For students, this means valuable practical experience, international networking, and the opportunity to grow beyond their own academic context.

Real challenges, real responsibility

In collaboration with eight European companies, the students developed solutions for specific business challenges—covering topics ranging from sustainability and health to technological innovations:

Digital health & mental wellbeing (Minduu / AtCare Oy, Mavie)

Sustainable energy solutions (VSE – Energy for your homes and businesses)

Skin research and product development (Dermatest GmbH)

Citizen participation & municipal digitalization (comuneo)

Sports & lifestyle e-commerce (GymBeam)

AI-supported feedback systems & platform technologies (Fygë, wiasano)

Citizen science in environmental and marine conservation (Kahi Kai)

Supported by coaches from academia and industry, the intercultural teams worked on user analyses, prototyping, and business cases – and took responsibility for real-world solutions with social added value.

A European network for innovation and education

The program was made possible by close cooperation between the Ulysseus partner universities, including Technická univerzita v Košiciach (TUKE), Université Côte d’Azur, MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®, the University of Münster, and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

It was particularly impressive to see how many participants from different countries, sectors, and disciplines came together to shape this program. Their openness, expertise, and commitment made CURATE a true co-creation experience.

What’s next?

The CURATE Incubator Program ends with the conclusion of the second boot camp—but the journey continues. A 3 ECTS MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is currently being developed, building on the experiences of the program and giving students across Europe the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in a practical and AI-supported way.

We would like to thank everyone involved – specially the students – for their ideas, commitment, and team spirit.