We offer you everything you need in order to follow your heart and your passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. Work in interdisciplinary teams, get in touch with expert coaches and mentors, develop your own original and validated business model for your start-up and become a part of our Franconian and international innovation ecosystem, start-up network and community.
What are the benefits of the two semester Program?
Analyze current megatrends and explore opportunities.
Collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to tackle entrepreneurial challenges.
Develop and evaluate start-up ideas with fellow participants.
Learn advanced software-based innovation methodologies.
Expand your professional & personal network globally.
Join our local innovation ecosystem and support future alumni.
Collaborate with mentors and the experienced THN, HSA, and FAU coaches.
Earn an official certificate and digital badge when finishing the program.
Above all,
you can go the extra mile in your innovative and entrepreneurial life, such as:
- Choose Electives: Throughout the program you can choose from a wide range of lectures and events across the participating universities and our innovation ecosystem.
- Go International: At the end of the program, check out the opportunities to go abroad.
- Start-up Track: If your team has successfully completed the Hub program, you can apply for the Start-up Track to take your business idea to the next level. The Start-up Track is a program for early stage start-ups which will begin in September 2025.
At the end of the 12-month program, you will have:
An overview of the current megatrends and how to discover business opportunities
The skillset to go through the entire innovation management process and how to design businesses
A validated market potential
A good innovative network
A validated business model and financial plan
A defined/work in progress prototype
A hardened pitch deck
A good understanding of what comes next for your project, your team and yourself
Program Spotlight
Who can participate?
Eligible to apply are undergraduate (Bachelor), graduate (Master) and postgraduate (PhD) students as well as research assistants from one of the following seven universities: AdBK, EvHN, FAU, HfM, HSA, THN and UTN.
We are looking for open-minded entrepreneurs who want to explore new opportunities. No start up idea needed!
You must be enrolled or employed until the end of summer semester 2027 (at least until 31st of July 2027). It is not possible for you to participate in the program if you are planning a semester abroad or a semester off.
You should be able to attend all our workshops and spend time working with your team between the workshops throughout the whole program.
You should be motivated to stay involved in the program and in subsequent batches and become an active part of the EIH community.
The program is extracurricular, there are no ECTS credits awarded. The language will be English.
How is it taught and implemented?
The program is all hands-on. We focus on team work, exploring real world problem spaces and developing specific start-up ideas, especially between workshops. Please find the detailed workshop plan below.
The program is divided into three modules. The modules are offered according to the strengths of the three program leading universities: First, the Trend & Technology Scouting, offered by HSA; second, the Product Development & Business Design, offered by FAU; and third, the Business Strategy, offered by THN.
During the program, a learning platform is available on which you have access to expert knowledge, helpful frameworks and additional tools for reflection and collaboration.
Each team has a dedicated start-up coach who will offer feedback and support whenever needed. In addition, each team will be provided with a prototyping budget for validating the business ideas.
You will get the opportunity to shape the program yourself! Become part of the student steering committee after finishing the program and bring in your experience, your expertise and make sure the following Batch has just as much fun as you had.
What is the application process?
All applicants will apply via the application form, which can be accessed here on the page under the “Application” button.
The application process consists of three phases:
- Phase 1: Simply apply via the application form by May 29th, 2026. You will be asked to give us some basic info, show your motivation and upload your CV and some certificates of yours.
- Phase 2: Afterwards we will contact you via e-mail and ask you to submit a short work sample. Then we will do a first preselection.
- Phase 3: After the preselection, you may be invited to have a short interview with us. We will accept about 35 Fellows for Batch #03. The final decision will be annouced at the end of July.
Program Schedule
You can apply for the program via this link between March 16th, 2025 until May 29th, 2026.
We will announce the results until end of July 2026.
Batch #03 of the EIH Student Program will kick-off on October 16th, 2026 and will last until July 31st, 2027.
Here you can find a complete overview of all planned workshops and venues:
Module 1 – Trend & Technology Scouting
Focus of Module 1: Find and build a strong team, explore your Problem Space, and look into the future by Trend Scouting and Ideation.
Schedule for Batch #03
| Workshop | Date | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick-off Weekend Program Introduction, Team Building, Problem Spaces & Trends | 16.10.2026 – 18.10.2026 | HSA Campus Rothenburg (transportation & accomodation included) | all three days |
| Trend Scouting Deep Dive | 30.10.2026 | ANsWERK, Ansbach | 9 am to 5 pm |
| Search Field Workshop | 06.11.2026 | ANsWERK, Ansbach | 9 am to 5 pm |
Module 2 – Product Development & Business Design
Focus of Module 2: Turn your team’s idea into a Business Model, build a prototype and validate your Business on the real market.
Schedule for Batch #03
| Name of the event | Date | Venue*) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick-off Weekend M2 Idea Consolidation, Team Reflection, Discover | 20.11.2026 – 22.11.2026 | Erlangen/Nürnberg | all three days |
| Discover Deep Dive | 04.12.2026 | Erlangen/Nürnberg | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Design Weekend Business Modeling, Picture of the Future, Validation | 08.01.2027 – 10.01.2027 | FAU FAUnding Center, Erlangen | all three days |
| Validate Workshop | 15.01.2027 | FAU FAUnding Center, Erlangen | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Midterm Presentationd & Big New Year’s Party | 22.01.2027 | d.hip, Erlangen | 9 am to open end |
Semester Break Activities
Focus during the semester break (~Feb – Apr 2027): Validate your team’s business idea and check the market potential. You will have bi-weekly support calls with your coach and of course we offer a couple of (optional) events meanwhile.
| Name of the event | Date | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team-Coach Meetings | February to April | online | tbd, bi-weekly |
| Community Event | March 2027 | tbd | tbd |
| BayStartUP Demo Night | March 2027 | tbd, Nürnberg | Evening event |
| Ideen Pitch der Region | March/April 2027 | tbd | Evening event |
| More events coming soon… |
Module 3 – Business Strategy
Focus of Module 3: Define your go-to-market strategy and learn how to communicate with your target groups. Reflect on the program and decide on your future.
Attention: This Schedule is still for Batch #02! Batch #03 will be organzied similarly.
| Name of the event | Date | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick off M3 & Business Strategy | 17.04.2026 | TH Nuremberg | 2 pm to 7 pm |
| Pitching Workshop | 08.05.2026 | TH Nuremberg | 2 pm to 6 pm |
| Venture Capital Financing | 15.05.2026 | TH Nuremberg | 9 pm to 3 pm |
| Financial Planning Workshop | 22.05.2026 | TH Nuremberg | 2 am to 6 pm |
| Pitch Test | 12.06.2026 | TH Nuremberg | 30 min each team |
| Participation on “Campus der Löwen” (optional) | 18.06.2026 | HSA Campus Ansbach | 4 pm to 8 pm |
| Final Demo Day | 19.06.2026 | Ohm Innovation Center | 12 am to 8 pm |
| What is Next Consultation | July 2026 | Individual team meetings | open |
Ready to apply?
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