KU Leuven embraces enterprise with new facilities

The new lessons offered by the university’s economics and business faculty includes a one-year module on the most crucial step taken by any start-up – drawing up a business plan. 

During October, meanwhile, the university will launch its enterprise platform LCIE, which stands for Leuven Community for Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship. The platform brings together a group of potential partners with would-be student entrepreneurs.

LCIE project leader Wim Fyen says that in the past entrepreneurship at Leuven was either too academic – the teaching of case studies by economics professors, for example – or too confusing. “The network of enterprise players in Leuven had become too complex,” he explains. “Students needed to have one central place to turn to. LCIE will serve as a hub that brings everything together.”

A student with an idea for a business can address LCIE and get advice and support from old hands in the field, such as Flanders DC, the government agency for business creativity; the digital research centre and ideas incubator iMinds and the Leuven Innovation Networking Circle of high-tech innovators, companies and researchers.

LCIE will offer four contact points for students, including the economics faculty, where they will be able to make use of meeting rooms and office space. The university has made financing of €130,000 available, on top of which the province of Flemish Brabant is giving €100,000.

Although it may be early days to think of such a thing, the university has already decided it will not take a share in any income generated by student enterprise projects. All rights arising out of successful projects go to the students, a spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the platform will allow the university to keep track of promising new businesses.

In related news, the Erasmus University College in Brussels is also starting a Bachelor’s degree in Ideas and Innovation this year, with lessons offered by business professionals in creativity, enterprise, people skills and innovation. So far 62 students have signed up.

Photo by Rob Stevens/KU Leuven