Bulgarian Liaison Office for Research’s Post

PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT: DIGITAL + GREEN A new opportunity is coming for entrepreneurs driving Africa’s sustainable future. The Digital and Green Innovation Acceleration Programme will soon open applications for early-stage startups in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda that are using digital technology to tackle environmental challenges and accelerate green growth. The programme, run by Civitta in collaboration with GrowthAfrica, mLab Southern Africa, Latitude59, and Startup Wise Guys, will support entrepreneurs whose innovations help address real-world challenges e.g. food security, renewable energy, water efficiency, waste reduction, and circular production. The Digital and Green Innovation Action is co-funded by the participating Team Europe partners (Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Estonia) and the European Commission. The programme is part of the European Union’s wider commitment to advancing Africa’s digital and green transitions. Turning innovation into sustainable impact. Across the continent, a new generation of startups is building the tools, platforms, and technologies that will define Africa’s sustainable future. Yet, while ideas are abundant, the path from prototype to scale can be difficult. Access to growth capital, mentorship, and global networks remains one of the greatest barriers for early-stage ventures. The Digital and Green Innovation Acceleration Programme bridges this gap by offering a structured journey that combines business growth support, technical mentorship, investment readiness, and exposure to local and international markets. Through practical training, tailored guidance, and strong ecosystem partnerships, the programme will equip entrepreneurs to grow faster, attract investment, and expand their positive impact on people and the planet. BUILDING AFRICA’S TWIN TRANSITION This regional acceleration programme contributes to a growing movement that connects technology with sustainability. By helping startups develop digital solutions that reduce carbon emissions, promote resource efficiency, and create inclusive economic opportunities, the programme strengthens both the digital and green transitions that are reshaping Africa’s future. Startups selected for the cohort will gain hands-on business development support, access to leading experts and investors, and the opportunity to compete for seed funding and international exposure in 2026. PREPARING FOR LAUNCH Applications for the Digital and Green Innovation Acceleration Programme will open on 21st October 2025. Entrepreneurs interested in applying are encouraged to follow updates from GrowthAfrica and Civitta for details on eligibility, focus areas, and how to submit applications. This is a chance for bold entrepreneurs to connect innovation with impact - to turn digital ideas into green solutions that help Africa thrive. Stay tuned for the official call for applications next week.

Welcoming Ms Pamela Spokes to NUST-i: Service Design Meets Entrepreneurship This week, the NUST Innovation Hub (NUST-i) is hosting Ms Pamela Spokes 🇨🇦, Service Designer at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki) for a staff-exchange engagement focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and service design. Pamela’s work bridges design and venture creation. From building Metropolia’s Campus Incubator Network to lecturing on pre-incubation programmes, she champions an end-to-end, human-centred approach: aligning people, processes, and infrastructure to deliver seamless service experiences across physical and digital touchpoints. Her philosophy is simple and powerful: spot real problems, validate with customers, then prototype and test. At Metropolia, Pamela contributes to #EER3UAS, connecting SMEs with new ways of working through education and design sprints to spark innovative business solutions. During her week at NUST Namibia, she’ll collaborate closely with NUST-i and partners to share practice, compare ecosystems, and co-create next steps. On the agenda at NUST-i ▪️Turbiini “Start Your Own Business” presentation ▪️Meetings with incubatees and mentorship/coaching ▪️A public talk for staff, students, and alumni ▪️A working session on course design and the way forward Join us as we learn, exchange, and strengthen the bridge between service design and entrepreneurial impact. 🚀 #NUSTi #NUSTInnovationHub #MetropoliaUAS #ServiceDesign #DesignThinking #Entrepreneurship #CampusIncubator #EER3UAS #InnovationEcosystem #SMEs #Namibia #Helsinki #HigherEducation #Startups #HumanCentredDesign

Tanzania’s next generation of innovators is proving that great ideas start at university. With mentorship, technical support, and commercial pathways, projects tackling tomato spoilage and road safety are now ready for the market. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dRQpwa4P #maltainnovationforum #innovation #entrepreneurship #SDGs

#Entrepreneurship: not just a city business! 🌾🪙 The creation of new enterprises, startups, and scaleups is a phenomenon limited to urban areas... right? 🤔 Think again! Evidence from a new #JRC policy brief suggests that while cities remain key centres of entrepreneurial dynamism and #innovation, rural regions can be important engines of growth. 💡 Some findings: 🔎 A few rural areas are bucking the trend in firm creation, particularly in 🇪🇪, 🇷🇴, 🇭🇺, 🇭🇷, 🇵🇱, and 🇫🇮. 🔎 The ratio of rural #startups share relative to rural population share is well above the national average in parts of 🇫🇷, 🇩🇪, 🇮🇹, and 🇪🇸. 🔎 Sectoral #specialisation translates into rural startups' comparative advantage in the agrifood sector - but also in energy, transport , robotics, and semiconductors . 🔎 On #scaleup performance, rural areas in 🇸🇪, 🇵🇹, 🇬🇷, and 🇮🇪 show notable success stories. JRC #research and #data is helping address territorial disparities and unlock the full growth potential of all EU territories, ensuring that no region is left behind. To facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise on how to promote startup-driven innovation in rural areas, the JRC also coordinates the #EuropeanStartupVillageForum. Its 2025 edition is currently underway - you can follow the livestream here 📹👉 https://lnkd.in/d9rRa2xk Entrepreneurial development and innovative ecosystems can also spring and thrive in rural areas, given the right enabling conditions. Curious to know what they are? Head to ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d6ccsucB #Science4Policy #EuropeanUnion #RuralAreas #BusinessDynamics ©️ EU Science, Research and Innovation Carolina Castaldi

📖 NEW Inclusive and Responsible #Entrepreneurship in a Turbulent Era Susanne Durst, Reykjavik University, Iceland, TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia and Society for Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneurship (S4ICE), Jacques Yana Mbena, PhD, Society for Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneurship gGmbH, Germany and Sorbonne Paris North University (Université Sorbonne Paris Nord), France and Céline Viala, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France, ESCE International Business School, France and Society for Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneurship gGmbH, Germany ‘Periods of crisis pose enormous challenges, but they also create promising opportunities. This book clearly and convincingly explains how inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship – by addressing inequality, diversity and social and environmental sustainability - represents a key opportunity to face and overcome these turbulent times.’ – Francisco Liñán, University of Seville, Spain ‘This book is a timely and thought-provoking contribution to the field. The authors skillfully highlight the pressing need for more ethically grounded and socially inclusive approaches to entrepreneurship. What sets this book apart is its global perspective and its practical relevance, offering actionable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike. In an age where volatility and uncertainty are the norm, this work provides a much-needed compass for navigating entrepreneurship with responsibility and resilience.’ – Sascha Kraus, University of Siegen, Germany This incisive book uses real-world examples and historical insights to shed light on how inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship can lead to stronger economies and communities. Combining inclusivity, responsibility, crisis management and other related concepts, authors Susanne Durst, Jacques Yana Mbena and Céline Viala adopt a holistic approach to examining the practical benefits of inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship. The book highlights the crucial role that entrepreneurship plays in developing and implementing sustainable solutions in turbulent times and emphasises that contemporary entrepreneurship is more than just making money, but is about inclusion and equity in all entrepreneurial activities. The authors provide a variety of historical insights and examples to demonstrate the ways in which inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship can be a tool for social justice, economic equality and societal sustainability. Inclusive and Responsible Entrepreneurship in a Turbulent Era identifies barriers to incorporating inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship and presents practical and effective solutions to address them. ℹ️ Details https://lnkd.in/egpN8SEZ 👓 Read a sample https://lnkd.in/eGr2adry

++ Funguo Tanzania Innovation Programme Boosts Funding to TZS 6.5 Billion, Supporting 13 Tanzanian Startups ++ The Funguo Innovation Programme has announced a significant expansion of its investment portfolio to TZS 6.5 billion, reinforcing its commitment to advancing innovation, job creation, and sustainable development across Tanzania. The latest round of catalytic funding will support 13 high-potential startups and MSMEs, providing the capital and technical assistance they need to scale impactful solutions and attract follow-on investment. The initiative, launched by UNDP Tanzania with support from the European Union (EU), Finland, and the United Kingdom, aims to strengthen Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem by empowering entrepreneurs—particularly youth and women—to overcome systemic challenges in access to finance, mentorship, and market opportunities. Through strategic partnerships, Funguo is creating an enabling environment where innovators can develop market-ready products that drive inclusive economic growth. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dj9X2meq #TechAfricaNews #FunguoInnovationProgramme #TanzaniaStartups #StartupFunding #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #GrowthEcosystem

While cities remain Europe’s hubs of entrepreneurial dynamism, new evidence points to rural areas’ potential for innovation and growth.     76% of all EU startups are based in cities, compared to just 6% in rural areas.     Yet, some rural areas stand out, with shares of rural startups well above the national average when compared with the share of rural population.     In addition, rural areas account for over 11% of all EU robotics startups, showing potential beyond traditional sectors.     This suggests that under the right local conditions, rural areas can nurture innovation and drive European competitiveness. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8tRX6tU 

🌾 Europe’s rural regions are bridging the innovation gap The latest Joint Research Centre (JRC) analysis highlights how Europe’s rural territories are no longer passive recipients of support — they are becoming active engines of innovation, driving the green and digital transitions through local knowledge, skills, and networks. This resonates deeply with the work of ERA_FABRIC, which explored how place-based research and innovation ecosystems can connect diverse regions, foster inclusivity, and translate European strategies into locally meaningful action. Within ERA_FABRIC, we see rural and less-urbanised areas as bridges in the European Research Area: ✅ Catalysts for smart specialisation and bio-based innovation ✅ Spaces for testing multi-stakeholder governance models ✅ Laboratories for sustainable and human-centric innovation ✅ Connectors linking local strengths to European value chains By aligning with the ERA Hubs framework, these territories demonstrate that innovation excellence can — and should — emerge from every corner of Europe. As the JRC underlines, closing the territorial innovation gap requires investment in skills, connectivity, and collaboration. ERA_FABRIC’s evidence shows how this can be achieved through interconnected knowledge spaces, shared governance, and inclusive policy design. 🌐 Learn more about ERA_FABRIC: www.erafabric.eu #ERA_FABRIC #ERA #InnovationEcosystems #RuralInnovation #SmartSpecialisation #ResearchAndInnovation #EUCohesion #EUPolicy

Thrilled to share that Takeout 25 NFP is one of the three social enterprises discussed in this publication in the Journal of Responsible Innovation. Thanks to the authors for including us. Please do check it out. #takeout25 Bala Mulloth, Ph.D. Rob Guenthner John Harris Madeline Khan-Roberts Sean Hennessy ABSTRACT This study examines how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles — anticipation, reflection, inclusion, and responsiveness — enhance social entrepreneurship processes addressing societal challenges. Using qualitative multiple case study analysis of three social enterprises (RVA Works, Takeout 25, and Rebecca's Natural Foods), we explore RRI application across key stages: idea generation, impact measurement, financial sustainability, and scaling. The findings reveal that while social entrepreneurs intuitively incorporate some RRI elements, systematic application of all four principles provides structured approaches to ethical, inclusive, and sustainable dimensions often overlooked. The study contributes theoretically by (1) bridging RRI and social entrepreneurship, demonstrating how principles enhance each process stage; and (2) advancing understanding of user-centered social innovation through inclusivity-driven systemic change. Our framework offers entrepreneurs a practical roadmap for developing responsible innovations that increase social impact and long-term viability. https://lnkd.in/ggSUEhkv

Takeout 25 NFP is one of the three social enterprises discussed in the enclosed article in the Journal of Responsible Innovation. Please do check it out. #takeout25 ABSTRACT This study examines how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles — anticipation, reflection, inclusion, and responsiveness — enhance social entrepreneurship processes addressing societal challenges. Using qualitative multiple case study analysis of three social enterprises (RVA Works, Takeout 25, and Rebecca's Natural Foods), we explore RRI application across key stages: idea generation, impact measurement, financial sustainability, and scaling. The findings reveal that while social entrepreneurs intuitively incorporate some RRI elements, systematic application of all four principles provides structured approaches to ethical, inclusive, and sustainable dimensions often overlooked. The study contributes theoretically by (1) bridging RRI and social entrepreneurship, demonstrating how principles enhance each process stage; and (2) advancing understanding of user-centered social innovation through inclusivity-driven systemic change. Our framework offers entrepreneurs a practical roadmap for developing responsible innovations that increase social impact and long-term viability. Ravi Parakkat Madeline Khan-Roberts John Harris Sean Hennessy Rob Guenthner Cassie Carroll https://lnkd.in/gQh4e8cG