MCI Students Kick Off CURATE Innovation Program

Students from Ulysseus partner universities unite to design and create AI-driven solutions for businesses

As part of a cross-border effort to boost entrepreneurship among students, innovation, and the use of AI, eight students from MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® joined the Erasmus+ funded CURATE program. This exciting initiative is part of the Ulysseus European University alliance and has been co-designed by MCI.

Four of the MCI students had the opportunity to travel to Košice, to participate in the first in-person Bootcamp, which took place at the Technical University of Košice. The Bootcamp brought together more than 60 students from Ulysseus partner universities, including Université Côte d'Azur (France), University of Münster (Germany), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and MCI (Austria). It created a hands-on learning environment where students collaborated on solving real challenges faced by involved business partners.

During the two-day event, students explored how to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and design thinking to develop smart, practical solutions. Through empathy mapping, creative brainstorming techniques, teamwork, and feedback from mentors, they generated initial ideas that would serve as a starting point for the program.

Over the next 16 weeks, the students will continue working on these projects, with the international collaboration within the groups providing them with a unique and transcultural perspective on the challenges faced by the companies. The program was supported by the presence of startup founders and coaches from across the Ulysseus alliance. Their guidance was helping students refine their ideas and understand the broader context of innovation ecosystems in Europe.

As a proud member of the Ulysseus alliance, MCI continues to promote international learning experiences that equip students with the mindset and tools needed to lead in a global, innovation-driven world.