The emigration of highly qualified professionals – also known as brain drain – presents significant challenges for many European regions. University locations in economically weaker areas are particularly affected, often struggling to retain young talent in the region. This is precisely where the European Erasmus+ project ENDORSE came into play. The project, led by IMC Krems, has now been successfully concluded.
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Focus on Talent Drain – EU Project ENDORSE Successfully Completed
The project was awarded the Best Practice label by the Austrian National Agency on behalf of the EU – a special recognition for projects of outstanding quality, relevance, and impact.
Together with partner universities from Sweden, Germany, Poland, Greece, and Latvia, innovative strategies were developed over the past three years to counteract talent loss and to promote entrepreneurial thinking and action among students.
New Perspectives for Structurally Weak Regions
Based on a Europe-wide comparison, the project identified university regions that are particularly affected by talent drain. Drawing on this analysis, the project team developed region-specific concepts to foster entrepreneurial skills at universities. The resulting study materials and training modules are modular in design and can be integrated into both business-related and interdisciplinary degree programmes. The goal is to raise students’ awareness of entrepreneurship at an early stage and to equip them with practical tools.
Stronger Regional Anchoring of Universities
At the heart of ENDORSE (Enhancing Development of Entrepreneurial Strategies at University Locations Affected by Brain Drain) was the question of how universities can act as engines of regional development.
"Through better integration into entrepreneurial ecosystems, universities can actively contribute to helping students implement their ideas locally and start businesses – thereby creating real prospects within their own regions," emphasises Prof. (FH) Dr Alina Schoenberg, project lead and programme director at IMC Krems.
A key role is played by the developed teaching materials and practice-oriented guidelines for entrepreneurship education, which can be flexibly adapted to suit regional conditions. Lecturers and other interested parties can identify their university’s regional type and tailor the content accordingly.
The combination of adaptable learning modules and concrete recommendations for action – directed at both lecturers and regional stakeholders – enables universities to embed entrepreneurship more deeply in both education and practice. This approach not only prepares students for entrepreneurial challenges but also strengthens regional innovation networks – through collaborations with start-ups, incubators, policymakers, and other relevant actors. In doing so, universities make an active contribution to regional development and help retain highly qualified graduates in their places of study.
Inspiration for Policy and Practice
Alongside student-focused activities, another key aspect of the project was the development of recommendations for policymakers, aimed at strengthening universities in their strategic role as regional innovation and economic partners. Initial results and models have already attracted interest from national and European policymakers and administrative bodies.
A lasting success of the project is the establishment of a transnational network, which will continue to promote exchange between the participating universities beyond the project’s duration. "Especially in times of major societal transformation, European cooperation is essential – both to learn from each other and to develop joint solutions," Alina Schoenberg stresses.
International Cooperation Against Brain Drain
In addition to IMC Krems, project partners included Mid Sweden University (Sweden), Hochschule Niederrhein (Germany), University of Lodz (Poland), Panteion University Athens (Greece), and Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (Latvia). Together, they set out to develop and implement effective measures to counteract the emigration of talent from university regions.