As part of the ACCENT Project, three Multiplier Events were organized across the University of Cologne (Germany), the University of Granada (Spain), and the University of Pavia (Italy) in early 2025. These events served to disseminate project results, promote international collaboration, and encourage the development of inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, particularly for international, refugee, and women entrepreneurs.

On 21 January 2025, the University of Cologne hosted a Multiplier Event as part of the ACCENT project, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme. The event focused on presenting the outcomes of Project Result 2 (PR2), which examines how universities and partner institutions can better support international and refugee entrepreneurs.

The event was held on-site with participants from Cologne and the wider region. Additional attendees from across Germany and partner countries joined online. 

Participating university departments included academic staff, human resources, career services, international offices and start-up centres.

The event also brought together stakeholders from the regional economic and policy ecosystem, including:

• Cologne Business
• The Federal Employment Agency
• The Roundtable of Cologne Universities on International Students and Scholars
• Kölner Studierendenwerk
• Evangelische Studierendengemeinde
• The Honorary Consul of Mexico in Cologne
• Start-ups such as VisaFlow and proWiss Consulting for Researchers

Several national and international institutions participated remotely:

• Ten Universities from Germany, Latin America, the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa
• The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• The COIMBRA Group
• The Organization of Southern Cooperation (OSC)

The agenda included a short quiz to encourage engagement, followed by a detailed presentation of PR2 results. The session concluded with a networking segment aimed at further dialogue between participants.

The event identified common barriers faced by international and refugee entrepreneurs, shared institutional approaches and tools to improve support services and strengthened collaboration between higher education, public institutions, and the private sector.

On 14 February 2025, the University of Granada hosted a Multiplier Event as part of the ACCENT project, co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. The event focused on advancing women’s entrepreneurship, under the theme “Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurship: From Challenges to Action.”

Coordinated by the Directorate of Entrepreneurship (UGR Emprendedora), the event aimed to promote best practices and strategies to support women entrepreneurs. It also facilitated the creation of collaboration networks among key stakeholders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, trainers, and relevant institutions in the region.

To maximise its impact, the event was held at the Chamber of Commerce of Granada, attracting participants from various business associations, cooperatives, public institutions, and professional networks. Notable participants included:

• AMEGA (Granada Association of Businesswomen and Self-Employed Women)
• FAECTA (Andalusian Federation of Cooperative Enterprises)
• Granada Provincial Council
• Granada City Council
• Andalucía Emprende Foundation
• Granada Confederation of Entrepreneurs
• SECOT (Senior Volunteers for Business)
• Andacowork
• Granada International Association
• Vice-Rectorate for Equality, Inclusion, and Social Commitment of UGR

The event had two main components. The first included a presentation of key findings from the ACCENT project, focusing on the challenges women face in entrepreneurship and providing data on the status of women’s entrepreneurship in the Granada province. The project was developed in collaboration with the University of Cologne (Germany) and the University of Pavia (Italy).

In the second part, the UGR Emprendedora team facilitated a collaborative working session, where participants could discuss strategies and design joint actions to make entrepreneurship a more viable and attractive career option for women in the region.

A problem-solving dynamic was conducted in small groups, addressing key challenges identified by the ACCENT project:

• Raising awareness of gender issues among technical personnel and entrepreneurs
• Helping women entrepreneurs identify opportunities in other sectors
• Supporting the adaptation of products to meet the needs of women
• Reducing barriers to accessing finance for women entrepreneurs
• Developing high-quality professional networks for women

Each group focused on a specific challenge and worked to define solutions, using the following framework:

• Challenge Title
• Importance
• Barriers to Implementation
• Challenge Summary (in two sentences)
• Drawing of the Challenge
• Beneficiaries
• Stakeholders to Involve
• Ideas for Solutions
• What, How, and Who

The session concluded with a shared reflection on the importance of increasing the visibility of women entrepreneurs as a key step in addressing the challenges they face.

On 29 January 2025, the University of Pavia hosted a Multiplier Event focused on presenting the findings and best practices from Project Result 1 (PR-1) of the ACCENT project. The event was coordinated by the Department of Economics and Management.

The primary aim of the event was to disseminate the results of the International Joint Acceleration Programme, developed by professors and researchers from the University of Pavia in collaboration with partner institutions from the University of Cologne and the University of Granada. The programme focused on the challenges faced by international entrepreneurs and the role of higher education in supporting these entrepreneurs’ journeys.

The event commenced with a welcome from the Vice Director of the Department and the Head of the Center for Global Strategic Engagement (GLOBEC) at the University of Pavia. Following this, an introduction to the project provided the context for the discussions of the day.

The main findings from the research were presented, including key insights from the literature on international entrepreneurship, as well as data collected through interviews conducted across the three partner universities. The results highlighted common barriers and challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the types of support they received, and the critical role universities play in fostering both entrepreneurship and international entrepreneurship.

The final session featured testimonials from successful companies founded by alumni and researchers at the University of Pavia, offering practical insights into the entrepreneurial process. The event concluded with a networking cocktail, fostering further interaction among participants.

Participants included university staff, such as professors, researchers, and PhD students, as well as representatives from Pavia’s innovation ecosystem, including the Chamber of Commerce, the local Association of Enterprises, and the Technological Hub. Companies involved in the research were also present to share their experiences and perspectives.