BLUE POINT
The BLUEPOINT project tackles marine plastic waste by establishing a replicable Blue Circular Economy model in the Atlantic region. It aims to create a multi-stakeholder ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on developing marketable solutions for glocalization, recovery, and processing of marine plastic. The goal is to reduce environmental impact and accelerate over 25 venturing initiatives to create new, sustainable businesses.
MUDUALBA PROJECT VISIT AT MONDRAGON UNIBERTSITATEA
The study visit from the DUALBA project explored how Mondragon Unibertsitatea implements its Dual model. Participants learned about the Dual model, key programs, and faculty experiences through presentations and round tables from the Faculties of Business, Education, Gastronomic Sciences, and Engineering. The visit included a session at Bilbao AS Fabrik and a lecture on the cooperative movement. The experience will help Albanian partners develop their own Dual education model, aided by insights on accreditation.
EU4DUAL Entrepreneurial Winter School 2024
The Winter School involved 70 participants from ESTIA, Savonia, and MU, including 8 student-entrepreneurs presenting start-up market studies. The event fostered collaboration among students and professionals from EU4DUAL partners, emphasizing intercultural and intergenerational exchange. ESTIA’s entrepreneurial task force played a key coaching role. The connection of several entrepreneurs to the MOB’E international mobility program reinforced the strong link between entrepreneurship, education, and mobility within EU4DUAL.
Entrepreneurial Mobility Journey of Romane Forment
Romane Forment, an ESTIA engineering student and self-employed entrepreneur, participated in the EU4DUAL entrepreneurial mobility pilot in early 2024. Supported by both the Savonia Business Incubator and ESTIA Entreprendre, Romane developed her venture with dual mentorship, gaining international experience in two distinct entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her success showcases the alliance’s commitment to integrating dual education with entrepreneurship, leading to Romane becoming a fully incubated entrepreneur.
Leveraging Initial Success into Broader Collaborative Research Programs
MCAST has a strong history of collaborating with diverse partners to enrich education and expand opportunities for students, academics, and researchers. Through the EU4DUAL Alliance, MCAST has deepened these efforts, co-developing dual education models and joining impactful initiatives like Engage All (inclusive digital education) and the APP Mobility Project (enhanced digital mobility tools). Collaborating with institutions such as DHBW, Mondragon, ESTIA, and Savonia, MCAST advances innovation, reinforcing its role in shaping future-ready, practice-based learning environments.
Empowering Students Through Collaborative Innovation and Real-World Problem Solving
As part of the EU4DUAL 2025 Annual Conference, 11 MCAST students participated in a dynamic 24-hour innovation challenge. They collaborated with peers from nine universities to solve real-world sustainability issues. This intense, hands-on experience fostered creativity, teamwork, and practical problem-solving under pressure. Participants praised the challenge as a highlight, deepening their understanding of sustainable business practices and preparing them for future global challenges.
EU4Dual Sustainability Report
The European University Alliance EU4DUAL has published its first sustainability report. This 44-page report, based on the European Standards for Sustainability Reporting (ESRS), covers the year 2023 and provides an overview of EU4DUAL’s sustainability performance. It includes data from nine partner universities and input from stakeholders like students, staff, and industry partners. The report addresses topics such as the value chain, emissions data, and the alliance’s sustainability strategy.
Empowering students through collaborative Innovation and real-world problem solving
MCAST students took part in a 24-hour innovation challenge. They worked with students from nine universities to solve real sustainability problems. This hands-on experience encouraged creativity, teamwork and problem-solving under pressure. MCAST participants said the challenge was the best part of the event, with several teams winning awards. The project helped them understand sustainable business practices and prepared them for future global challenges.
Sustainable growth for international SMEs
How can businesses expand into international markets in a sustainable way? In March 2025, Savonia UAS welcomed students from the Netherlands and Germany (DHBW) for an international Erasmus+ BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) week. Working alongside Savonia students, the international students spent a week in groups developing complete sales processes from an environmental, social and governance perspective. They focused on sustainable international growth and created practical roadmaps to help their client companies enter the Central European
Empowering cross-border entrepreneurship
Savonia University of Applied Sciences has teamed up with ESTIA (France) and other EU4DUAL alliance members to create a new entrepreneurship mobility programme. This programme helps students start businesses across borders whilst continuing their studies. The pilot programme, which includes French student Romane Forment, shows how well it works in developing business skills and encouraging international partnerships. By combining work-based learning with entrepreneurship education, Savonia is leading the way in creating forward-thinking, innovation-focused higher education.
