BOOTCAMP Sail & Learn 2025, organised by PAR University of Applied Sciences, offered students and entrepreneurs a truly unique learning experience – aboard five sailing boats exploring the South Dalmatian islands. Blending adventure with applied education, the programme created space for developing entrepreneurial thinking, leadership and creativity in motion. During the week-long bootcamp, mixed teams of students and entrepreneurs collaborated on a real-world challenge connected to the island of Hvar – the problem of seasonal brain drain and the lack of year-round employment opportunities for youth. Their task: to design sustainable business ideas that could retain talent on the island and encourage long-term economic vitality. Guided by mentors from business and academia, participants tackled this challenge through teamwork, field insights and peer learning – all while navigating the Adriatic. The setting itself fostered informal dialogue and strong connections, making networking an organic part of the experience. Sail & Learn once again showed that great things happen when students and industry experts come together.
