• The first international makeathon will take place on Thursday, 19 February, featuring Dave Kock, President of EUth
• The initiative will continue on the 25th with a new session led by Teresa Nagele, Vice-President of EUth
• Young people from across Europe will work in international teams to develop solutions and circular startup concepts
Valencia, February 2026. The European project C-SUSTAIN (Circular & Sustainable Training for Youth Entrepreneurs) will hold its first international makeathon on Thursday, 19 February, marking the beginning of a series of collaborative innovation events that will take place across Europe throughout the project’s duration. This first session, lasting 2.5 hours, will launch a cycle of transnational meetings aimed at fostering youth innovation in the field of the circular economy.
The makeathon will feature the participation of Dave Kock, President of EUth (Förderung der Individualität von Jugend in Europa), who will guide and support participants during this collaborative innovation experience. The session will begin at 2:00 PM in Ireland, 3:00 PM in Spain, Poland and Austria, and 4:00 PM in Greece, enabling simultaneous participation across partner countries.
During the session, participants will work in international teams to develop viable solutions and startup concepts inspired by circular economy principles. Through a dynamic and practice-oriented methodology, young people will address real sustainability challenges related to resource efficiency and circular business models. The aim is to transform innovative ideas into structured proposals with environmental, social and economic impact.
This event is the first in a series of makeathons that will be organized across Europe within the framework of C-SUSTAIN. The second session is already scheduled for the 25th and will be led by Teresa Nagele, Vice-President of EUth, further strengthening the project’s commitment to youth leadership and European collaboration.
The makeathons are a core component of C-SUSTAIN’s methodological approach, which emphasizes experiential learning and transnational cooperation as key tools for developing entrepreneurial and sustainability competences. These sessions allow participants not only to acquire knowledge but also to apply it in real contexts, fostering teamwork, creativity, and adaptability in international environments.
C-SUSTAIN is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, with a duration of 24 months and a total budget of €250,000. The project aims to equip young people—particularly those from multicultural backgrounds—with competences in sustainable entrepreneurship and circular economy, aligned with the European frameworks GreenComp and EntreComp, as well as with the priorities of the European Green Deal.
Through its free online course, training programmes, makeathons, and Train of Trainers initiatives, C-SUSTAIN seeks to strengthen youth leadership and actively contribute to Europe’s green and digital transition.
The project is coordinated by BildungsLAB – Hands&Minds Learning Centre (Austria) and implemented in partnership with CRADLE SINGLE (Greece), Fundacja Instytut Europejski (Poland), EUth – Förderung der Individualität von Jugend in Europa (Germany), Roscommon Integrated Development Company (Ireland), and the Finnova Foundation (Spain). Together, these six organisations are building a European network committed to sustainable innovation, inclusion, and youth empowerment.
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