Following the success of the 2015 summer academies for budding digital start-ups, the call for the STARTIFY7 2016 Summer Academies in ICT and entrepreneurship for young people and graduates academies is now open.

This year the project will be hosting academies focused on Digital Transportation, Simulations, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Video Games and IT-driven Social Entrepreneurship.

There will be four academies available:

1. Almeria, Spain is hosting a Summer Academy in Industrial Simulations on 4th July-15th July 2016
2. Thessaloniki, Greece is hosting a Summer Academy in Digital Transportation on 4th July-15th July 2016
3. Katowice, Poland is hosting Summer Academy in Next Generation Enterprise Information Systems on 4th July-15th July 2016
4. Enschede, Netherlands  is hosting a Summer Academy focused on Social and enterprise networks on 15th August-25th August 2016.

The call closes on May 20th.

If you are interested in either contributing to an academy or participating, please contact Kate Penney.

Startify7 is a two-year project funded under Horizon 2020 that started on 1st of January 2015. The core challenge is to connect with existing ICT enterprise training structures through thematic learning academies which will combine lean start-up training with team-building for young people.

The 2016 academies will take the STARTIFY7 concept to a new level. Building on the success of 2015, the academies this year have established links with more entrepreneurs and businesses to ensure that the participants in 2016 get the best possible start to their entrepreneurial journey. The academies will bring together young people from business and technology backgrounds with an interest in lean entrepreneurship in new and emerging technologies. All of the academies are an excellent opportunity for young people to work over 10 days with leading industrial experts and academics in excellent facilities to shape their ideas and pitch to a jury to gain potential investment.