From Research to Venture: An International Week of Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Vienna
What is entrepreneurship in a research setting? Can academic ideas be turned into solutions with actual societal impact? And how do researchers acquire an entrepreneurial mindset?
Some of these questions were explored at the Venture Creation Summer School at the University of Vienna, from June 29 to July 3 2026. The program provided an intensive introduction to venture creation through a combination of evidence-based teaching, practical workshops and collaborative learning, bringing together an international cohort of PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from across the Circle U. alliance.
Entrepreneurship was a new perspective for many participants. During the week, the Venture Creation Summer School questioned the popular perception that entrepreneurship is only about starting a company. Instead, participants explored it as a structured process of finding opportunities, understanding real-world problems, testing assumptions, and creating value.
"Something I learned here is that you can take a very unusual idea that is initially focused purely on research, in our case methane and cows, and, with creativity and the right team, turn it into a broader business idea with real potential"
Madeleine Lomax-Vogt, Post Doc Researcher
Led by Dr. Yossi Maaravi, Dean of the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship at Reichman University, the course introduced participants to the foundations of entrepreneurial thinking and encouraged them to apply these concepts to their own research fields
and professional interests.
The Summer School was grounded in active participation within interdisciplinary teams, bringing together participants from different academic backgrounds to develop venture ideas. Team challenges encouraged participants to question assumptions, experiment, and understand that failure is an important part of the innovation process
The programme led the students through key stages of venture creation, including:
- Recognising entrepreneurial opportunities;
- Developing and refining ideas;
- Building effective teams;
- Understanding customer needs and conducting market research;
- Creating a sustainable business model;
- Applying lean startup principles; and
- Pitching ideas and receiving feedback.
One of the defining features of the Summer School was the diversity of its participants. Researchers from different countries and disciplines, from natural sciences and engineering to social sciences and humanities, worked together throughout the week, discovering how different perspectives can strengthen innovation.
Key Learnings
Beyond the classroom, the programme created space for networking and the exchange of experiences between early-career researchers facing similar challenges in different institutional and national contexts. These conversations highlighted the value of international collaboration, a cornerstone of the Circle U. alliance.
As universities continue to strengthen innovation ecosystems and encourage knowledge transfer, initiatives like the Venture Creation Summer School play an important role in equipping the next generation of researchers with the skills and confidence to transform ideas into meaningful societal impact.
