At the heart of ZEEUS are the Seed Factories, pioneering structures designed to transform knowledge into impact. These collaborative spaces promote a practical and interdisciplinary approach to sustainable entrepreneurship, linking education, research and innovation. Through boot camps, hackathons, mentoring and access to funding networks, Seed Factories help bring ideas with transformative potential to life – from digital solutions for smart cities to new circular economy models. Throughout the project, more than 1,000 students and 300 academic and non-academic staff members are expected to be involved, and at least eight start-ups with sustainable business models are expected to be created. ZEEUS is building an international innovation network that will last well beyond the funding phase.

ZEEUS is more than a project – it is a bold vision for the future of higher education. In an era marked by climate urgency and the digital revolution, the project aims to position higher education institutions as drivers of sustainable innovation. Through the creation of Seed Factories at universities in Europe and Africa, ZEEUS promotes green entrepreneurship, intercontinental collaboration and the creation of scalable solutions to global challenges. These “seed factories” offer training, mentoring, funding and methodologies for measuring climate impact. Aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project focuses on empowering students, researchers and professionals, fostering the creation of start-ups and innovation networks with a real impact on society and the planet.