SETU partners in €1.34m European BECEE Project to Boost Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

South East Technological University (SETU) has been awarded funding as part of a prestigious European consortium delivering the BECEE project – Balanced and Enhanced Collaboration for an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem – a transformative initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurial talent and strengthening innovation capacity across Europe.

Led by Rachel O’Dowd, Prof. Helen Hughes, and Dr Ultan McCarthy from SETU’s Department of Land Sciences, with Dr James O’Sullivan, Head of Innovation and Commercialisation at SETU, the project is delivered in close collaboration with Professor Bill O’Gorman of Dungarvan Enterprise Centre. BECEE is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), with cross-funding and endorsement from EIT Digital, EIT Climate, EIT Food, and EIT Health.

The €1.34 million project brings together four forward-looking higher education institutions—Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), South East Technological University (Ireland), and Universiteti “Aleksandër Moisiu” Durrës (Albania)—working in tandem with four innovation-driven enterprises: KPN (Eindhoven, Netherlands), Innofuse (Zurich, Switzerland), Dungarvan Enterprise Centre (Ireland), and Linda Laboratory (Durrës, Albania).

Speaking about SETU’s role, Professor Helen Hughes said, “We are hugely excited by the opportunity to be part of this excellent European consortium furthering innovative solutions, strengthening and supporting our entrepreneurial talent in the region in conjunction with our industrial partner Dungarvan Enterprise Centre. It further strengthens the focus and expertise available within the Department of Land Sciences for entrepreneurship that has been developing across the last decade.”

The BECEE project will have a tangible impact on regional and national entrepreneurship by developing practical, scalable models to support innovators, start-ups and SMEs. Activities will include training, mentorship, policy development, and new pathways for academic-industry engagement—all contributing to SETU’s strategic ambition of connecting for impact.

Dr James O’Sullivan noted, “This initiative reflects SETU’s deepening commitment to delivering innovation and knowledge exchange across our region, working hand in hand with our enterprise partners to create a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The project is already underway and will roll out activities over the next two years across the partner regions. It aligns strongly with SETU’s focus on collaboration, regional development, and addressing key societal challenges through innovation.

More information is available at: https://eit-hei.eu/projects/becee/