Programmes

Work on your skills & entrepreneurial knowledge: CREO has developed programmes for students and early-career researchers who want to get a taste of entrepreneurship and develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Discover our offer for students below
Discover our offer for early-career researchers below

For students

Ideation bootcamp

Do you want to strengthen your entrepreneurial skills? Do you have an early-stage idea and want to know whether it’s feasible? Then the Ideation Bootcamp is for you. The bootcamp consists of three workshops (evening sessions) in which we will work on, among other things: spotting different opportunities, screening and validating ideas, building a prototype, translating your idea into a pitch, ...

The sessions take place on 18 February and 4,16 and 23 March 2027 on the City Campus from 17:30 to 20:30. At the end of the programme, you’ll receive a certificate of participation.

Interested? Register here. (New link to follow)

Supporting tools

For early-career researchers

Programmes

1. The Company+

Are you an early career researcher (PhD or postdoc) curious about entrepreneurship?

Do you want to develop your entrepreneurial skills in practice regardless of whether your idea is related to your research or not ?

Are you open minded to learn from others even outside your own discipline?

The Company+ is an immersive, hands-on entrepreneurial training programme that bridges theoretical knowledge with real-world applications. This programme offers an opportunity to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams, explore potential for cutting-edge innovations within some priority domains of the University of Antwerp and gain essential entrepreneurial skills.

By participating in The Company+, you will:

Gain hands-on experience in first entrepreneurial steps
Connect academic expertise with real challenges and societal and market needs
Learn how to work in an interdisciplinary team and how to combine expertise
Gain insights in how to transfer an idea into a value proposition towards a business case
Gain insights in basics on legal aspects of starting a business and the basics of IPR strategies and how to apply it on the one case
Gain a better understanding of their own role and competence profile in a valorisation-oriented team
Apply key business concepts (finance, marketing, sales, market analysis, pricing, strategy, etc.) in the creation of a coherent business case.
Learn to give a strong pitch to a professional jury.

When? January– October 2027 · 30 contact hours + additional personal work

Programme 2027

15 January 2027, 13:15 - 14:30: Info Session + Testimonial of participant Company+ - CMI – G.005 (TBD)
29 January, 2027, 10:00 - 13:00, including networking lunch: Session 1: Presentation domains and Getting To Know Each Other - CMI – A.143 + hall Building A for lunch
23 February 2027, 9:30-12:30: Session 2: Team Creation - TBD
4 March 2027, 9:30 - 16:00: Session 3: Ideation + Value Proposition - TBD
15 March 2027, 9:30 - 14:00: Session 4: Business Modelling - TBD
29 April 2027, 9:30 - 12:30: Session 5: Legal Basics Awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - CMI, A.133
28 May 2027, 9:30 - 12:30: Session 6: Market Analysis + Possible Go-to-Market Strategies - CMI, G.016
21 June 2027, 14:00-17:00 on request: Session 7 (by appointment): Team Level Accountability meeting - CMI, A.133
17 September 2027: Session 8: Financing your next step: From Idea to Valorisation and Entrepreneurship - CMI, A.133 (TBD)
22 October, 2027, 9:30 - 12:30: Session 9: Pitching - CMI, A.133
19 November 2027: Optional Session 9 bis: Rehearsal Pitching - CMI, A.133
25 November 2027, 14:00-18:00, Session 10: Dragon’s Den - Hof van Liere, Willem Elschotzaal (session), T Greshamzaal (catering)
On request + date to be defined related to the availability of the coaches: Feedback (TBD)

Need More info? Join Info session on the Company + edition 2027 in January 15 th 2027

Infosession Company+ programme - Edition 2027 - Formulier invullen

2. Offer from Research, Innovation & Valorisation Antwerp (RIVA)

Research, Innovation & Valorisation Antwerp (RIVA) organises various information sessions and training courses.

➡️ You can find them here.

3. Offer from Antwerp Doctoral School (ADS)

ADS supports doctoral students in successfully completing their PhD and prepares them for their future career, within or outside academia.

➡️ The basics of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

4. Training programme “Deep Dive into Business” for emerging spin-off teams

➡️ Deep Dive into Business is a 7-day intensive training programme aimed at turning a business idea into a solid business case.