The 1st SPREAD2INNO Innovation Academy took place in Bologna, Italy, from 13-14 June, 2024 as part of the “WMF – We Make Future” Event.

Filled with a thrilling and enlightening programme, the two days provided a valuable opportunity for participating startups to explore the final frontier of ideas and level up their innovation. By offering one-to-one meetings, SPREAD2INNO provided expert advice to startups to make their visions come true. In workshops and talks by top experts, participants learned more about space economy, business models, EU fundings and innovation ecosystems. The highlight of the academy was the SPREAD2INNO pitch roulette, which was concluded by an award ceremony for the winning startups, which will receive access to the third and final phase of the SPREAD2INNO Acceleration Programme.

At the academy, participating startups were able to not only gain visibility in front of an expert audience, but also received exceptional insights into the innovation ecosystem as well as valuable networking opportunities.