Newsletter #4
January 14th, 2025
Internship Opportunity for Students from the Ruhr area & Slovenia in Varna in May/June 2025

Are you connected to students with a passion for entrepreneurship? The Internship Programme in Varna offers a transformative experience for young individuals to immerse themselves in a dynamic start-up ecosystem, develop critical skills, and build international networks.
What’s on Offer?
- Tailored Internships: Erasmus+-eligible placements in start-ups across sectors like IT, design, medical tec, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, and more.
- Skill Development: Participants gain hands-on experience in business planning, marketing strategies, and pitching ideas.
- Vibrant Location: Interns will enjoy Varna’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, vibrant city life, and cultural attractions.
Your Role as a Multiplicator
Spread the word to potential applicants in your network. This programme is perfect for undergraduate and graduate students from Slovenia and the Ruhr Region in Germany. Applications are open until January 31st, 2025, and the internships begin in May or June 2025 (minimum duration 60 days).
More information and Application: https://www.ecosys4you.eu/participate/internships/varna-2025/# or contact us at info@ecosys4you.eu for materials to share.
Joint Classes to Empower Future Entrepreneurs starting in March 2025
Are you looking for opportunities to support young talent and foster an entrepreneurial mindset in English? The Joint Classes initiative offers an outstanding platform for students, pupils, and alumni from the Ruhr (Germany), Varna (Bulgaria), and Slovenia to develop their skills and explore the potential of becoming successful entrepreneurs.
What Makes Joint Classes Special?
- Expert-Driven Learning: Entrepreneurs from start-ups and scale-ups will share practical insights, from securing funding to turning ideas into market-ready opportunities.
- Interactive Environment: Participants work in international, multicultural teams on real-world challenges in a fully virtual setting hosted by DOBA Business School.
- Flexible Participation: The programme consists of three four-week modules, each awarding 3 ECTS credits. Participants can choose to join one, two, or all modules.
How You Can Help
Share this opportunity with your network and encourage young talents to join. The pilot course begins in March 2025—help us spread the word! Further information: https://www.ecosys4you.eu/participate/joint-classes/ or contact marina.letonja@doba.si for promotional materials and further details.
Support Aspiring Entrepreneurs with Our Online Mentoring Programme: 2nd Batch Application Open
Our first Mentoring batch and match making event with around 40 German, Bulgarian and Slovenian mentors and mentees took place online on December 9th, 2024.
Do you know young talents with big ideas but no clear path to turn them into reality? The Ecosys4you Online Mentoring Programme is here to bridge the gap, offering guidance, resources, and networking to students and budding entrepreneurs aged 18–35. And the second batch starts soon.
Programme Highlights:
- Personalized Guidance: Mentors support mentees in refining their ideas, overcoming challenges, and building essential skills.
- International Connections: Mentees work with mentors from Germany, Bulgaria, and Slovenia, gaining insights into diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems.
- Structured Engagement: The programme runs in six-month cycles, with a minimum commitment of one hour per month and networking events for added value.
How You Can Help
Encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs by sharing this programme within your network. Applications for the second round close on March 31, 2025, with limited spots available. Get more information here https://www.ecosys4you.eu/participate/mentoring/ or to receive promotional materials, contact office@rapiv.org.
Acknowledging Our Sponsors and Supporting Companies
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors and supporting companies, whose generous contributions make these initiatives possible. Special thanks go to Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen, evocenta GmbH, and XignSys GmbH for their unwavering support. We also appreciate the collaboration and backing from our supporting companies: PHYSEC GmbH, AWARE7 GmbH, and Grubengold GmbH. Your commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across regions is invaluable. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for aspiring entrepreneurs!
Start-ups Offering Internships
Further, we thank the startups from the Ruhr MeiCla, Xingsys, Fairnica, AWARE7 and Shuhari for offering internships.
New Paper out now in the Journal “Local Economy”: Beyond start-up formation: Effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem support activities for developing lagging regions
Discover how entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) support activities can drive regional development beyond just creating new companies. Our recent paper highlights the broader impacts of start-up support in lagging regions, from fostering innovation and collaboration to enhancing regional identity. The study calls for a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs) as catalysts for sustainable growth. Read more about the five key effects, we identified, transforming declining regions into thriving communities!
Get the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1177/02690942241311805 (Open Access available soon!)
Cite as: Flögel, Franz; Letonja, Marina; Meyer, Kerstin; Rabadjieva, Maria; Vilman, Zineta; Zhekova, Ralitsa; Zlateva, Mariya & Butzin, Anna (2025): Beyond start-up formation: Effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem support activities for developing lagging regions. In: Local Economy.