INNOTECH
Junior Business Academy: empowering young enetrepreneurs through innovation and strategic support
Regional Impact
The project targets three transition regions: Western Macedonia (Greece), Centru (Romania), and Southeastern Bulgaria. These areas face the dual challenge of economic restructuring and fossil fuel phase-out.
COALition strengthens local ecosystems, builds capacity, and helps secure funding, laying the foundation for sustainable growth and job creation in emerging sectors like renewables, hydrogen, and energy efficiency.
Market Context
Coal regions across Europe are under pressure to phase out fossil fuels while preserving economic stability.
Despite their challenges, they also present major opportunities — with estimates of up to 314,000 jobs created through clean energy investments by 2030.
EU policies like the Green Deal, Just Transition Fund, and Hydrogen Strategy support this shift, yet local coordination, strategic planning, and skills development remain key barriers.
Beneficiary
Primary beneficiaries include workers in coal-related industries, regional and local authorities, innovation ecosystem stakeholders, academic institutions, and SMEs in the energy and tech sectors.
Broader beneficiaries include residents of transition regions, future investors, and the extended EU innovation community focused on clean energy and climate neutrality.
Stakeholder Network
COALition is implemented by a diverse consortium of partners from Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria, including public institutions, universities, regional agencies, private companies, and NGOs.
Key members include CERTH (leader), Iceberg Plus, UMFST Târgu Mureș, Sofia University, Mureș County Council, Stara Zagora REDA, and many more.
Junior Business Academy was more than a funding scheme — it was a catalyst for entrepreneurial activation in the Centru Region
Through this initiative, Iceberg+ delivered tailored support mechanisms rooted in our core strengths: strategic innovation, ecosystem building, and practical business modeling.
We didn’t just offer opportunities; we built capacity and confidence in over 360 young people.
Regional Impact
With our support, 360+ students accessed applied entrepreneurship training and business coaching.
The result?
17 new ventures and over 70 new jobs in sectors with high-growthpotential. Each startup benefited from Iceberg+’s hands-on mentoring and direct access tofunding instruments.
Market Context
The Centru Region holds untapped potential in integrating youth into strategic industries.
Iceberg+ tackled this challenge with a hybrid model combining deep regional insight and European-level methodologies to fast-track entrepreneurial outcomes.
Beneficiary
University students and recent graduates in the Centru Region with business ideas and the drive to build.
Stakeholder Network
Lead Partner: UMFST Târgu Mureș
Strategic Implementation Partner: Iceberg+ bringing 15+ years of innovation consulting, startup development, and funding access expertise.
Results
2021
Program launch
2022
360+ students trained
2023
17 startups funded, 70+ jobs created
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For startups, SMEs, academia, authorities.
For Bold ones.