Focus Days – The kick-off event for the ‘Honours Degree in Entrepreneurship’
The Honours Degree in Entrepreneurship (HD) also started this year with the Focus Days which took place from 21st March to 23rd March. During these three days the start-up teams got to know each other and gained initial insights into the programme. They were able to reflect on their business idea and define goals.
A special highlight was the visit of Gero Camp, start-up enthusiast and alumni of the University of Passau and the Honours Degree in Entrepreneurship. Together with his teammate Micha Günther, he is working on their start-up PlanBee-Project, which aims to digitize the beehive. Gero Camp shared interesting insights into his own start-up journey.
He emphasised, “Talk about your idea so the network works for you to get the right people.” Afterwards, the students had plenty of time to ask questions. The Focus Days were also very enriching for the lecturers, as they took on board the students' ideas and gave them further suggestions for clarification.
Who’s been chosen for the HD?
Nine teams were selected for this year's HD. As usual the ideas are diverse. With innovative solutions they address social and ecological challenges as well as the needs of companies and customers. Once again teams from the University of Passau's partner universities will be welcomed to the programme. These are students from the Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman (KNEU) and the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. They enrich the groups and the programme with their expertise and commitment.
What’s next?
Intense Phase I - the working phase of the prospective founders started on 12th April 2024. In the first stage the students work on the topics of value creation, customer, competitive environment and sustainability. Over the next seven months the teams will take part in various workshops and individual coaching sessions. All under the guidance of experienced lecturers from the University of Passau. They work on their ideas and the associated business model with mentors from the start-up scene.
"We are excited to see how the teams will develop and look forward to accompanying them in the coming months," says Dr. Maria Diekmann, PATEC Programme Director. A good opportunity to get to know this year's teams and their innovative ideas is the Entrepreneurship Day on 20th June 2024.