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CenSE researchers: Joris De Lee. Previously also: Elien Crois, Stijn Dauwe, Sabine Schuddinck
Duration: 2012-2024
Duration of current project period: 2020-2024, but the project has grown out of previous projects originating in 2012.
Funding: ERDF fund
Partners: Broeikas is an initiative of Hogeschool Gent and Odisee together with the City of Aalst. This project is realised with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and with co-financing from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Province of East Flanders.
Summary:
The project 'Ondernemend Aalst', from which the current 'Broeikas' has grown, concerned a bridge project education-business, funded by the Flemish Government within the Strategic Plan STEM 2012-2020. It aimed to build a bridge between education and business by organising an entrepreneur award, an idea café, and other activities.
The main objective of the 'Entrepreneurial Aalst' project was to make the Aalst region more entrepreneurial and the project consisted of several sub-projects. The first initiative on which the project partners set their sights was to find the necessary structural funding to make the 'Entrepreneur Award' a permanent event. The aim of the Entrepreneur Award is to highlight regional entrepreneurs. Specifically, in that bridge project, much attention was paid to the process of trial and error inherent in entrepreneurship. In addition, the project partners also saw opportunities in the organisation of 'Idea café's'. Input for themes discussed here was provided by a think tank of regional actors. The project also resulted in motivating and supporting students when they want to start an entrepreneurial activity during or after their studies: Broeikas (translation: Greenhouse).
The vision of Broeikas includes giving all higher education students in Aalst an entrepreneurial bath that increases their innovative and entrepreneurial capacity (value creation entrepreneurship) and supporting young people with an idea in its development into a profitable project or business (corporate entrepreneurship). Broeikas' mission is to create and facilitate the right context and framework for this.
Broeikas aims to be the local hub for supporting entrepreneurial spirit among young people aged 18 to 25. Broeikas builds bridges between young people, entrepreneurs, local authorities and all other actors involved who can contribute to the above vision. With creative and inspiring communication and always ready to provide guidance based on its own expertise and experience, as well as complementary cooperation with other actors, Broeikas wants to be at the service of all young people in its target group and contribute to a flourishing future of the wider region around Aalst.
Read more about Broeikas on the website: www.broeikas.be
