Officially launched: Professional Integration HUB opens its Entrepreneurship edition
10/7/20264 min read
On 30 September, 2026, Professional Integration HUB officially launched its fourth edition at the Vienna Business Agency. After three rounds focused on professional integration through internships, the program is entering a new phase with entrepreneurship at its core.
The new edition brings together 26 Ukrainian women living in Austria who will spend the coming months developing their business ideas and preparing them for implementation in the Austrian market. The participants come from different professional backgrounds and enter the program at different stages, from early concepts to ideas already in progress.
The Opening event brought together the new cohort, the program organizers from ERSTE Foundation and the European Centre for Freedom and Independence, IFTE experts, and members of YOU!Community.
Olena Bekreniova, co-founder of the European Centre for Freedom and Independence, opened the event by introducing HUB 4.0 and outlining the vision behind the new edition. Speaking about the selection process, she highlighted the diversity of ideas and the determination of the women behind them:
“What impressed us most during the selection process was the diversity and ambition behind the ideas we received. They come from very different fields and are at different stages of development. Our goal now is to create the environment where these ideas can be tested, strengthened and transformed into viable business concepts.”
The move towards entrepreneurship builds on the experience of the previous three HUB editions and responds to a growing interest in self-employment among Ukrainian women in Austria.
Yana Barinova, Program Director Ukraine at ERSTE Foundation, explained how this demand contributed to the development of the new edition:
“We saw that many women were thinking about starting their own businesses, and we began asking ourselves how we could support them in taking this step. After a careful selection process, we are very happy to welcome 26 women to the program!”
Olga Olefirova, co-founder of the European Centre for Freedom and Independence, reflected on the experience of the previous HUB editions and the opportunities the new format can create for participants:
“Our previous HUB rounds, which focused on internships, were very successful and demonstrated that the Professional Integration HUB is an effective way to support the professional integration of highly skilled Ukrainian women. I believe that this new format of the HUB will be just as successful, and that you will gain new knowledge and experience, make new friends, find potential partners and, most importantly, enjoy the program!”
Nina Metternich, EUCFI Board Member with a long-standing background in entrepreneurship, shared her perspective on what it means to be a woman entrepreneur in Austria. She emphasized the importance of cooperation and networking, highlighting them as particular strengths of women-led businesses and initiatives.
A special guest of the Opening Event Celine Rudorfer from the Vienna Business Agency, welcomed the participants and shared how impressed she was by the entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and courage of Ukrainian women. Her participation also highlighted the importance of connecting the new cohort with Vienna’s wider entrepreneurial ecosystem from the very beginning of the program.
From October 2026 to January 2027, participants will work intensively on turning their ideas into structured and viable business concepts. The program will cover key aspects of entrepreneurship and doing business in Austria, combining intensive learning sessions with individual coaching focused on each participant’s specific idea and study visits to relevant Austrian institutions and organizations.
The entrepreneurship curriculum of this program edition is delivered by IFTE #Entrepreneurship4Youth. During the Opening, Prof. Johannes Lindner, Founder and Chairman of IFTE, together with IFTE expert Annamaria Teply, presented the learning approach and outlined how the work over the coming months will be structured. Together with IFTE experts Valentin Mayerhofer, Yannis Olschewski and other entrepreneurship experts involved in the program, he will accompany participants through the development process.
For Johannes, an important part of this process is giving participants the tools to test their ideas realistically, challenge their assumptions and make informed decisions at an early stage.
“We want participants to reach the point where they can say, “Yes, I can do what I want to do,” or understand early enough that something in their original idea needs to change.”
The Opening event also gave the participants their first opportunity to meet as a cohort. They introduced themselves, shared their professional backgrounds and business ideas, and began building connections with one another, the program team and experts. The formal part of the event was followed by an informal networking session where participants and partners could continue their conversations and exchange experiences.
The program will culminate in Demo Day in February 2027, when participants will publicly pitch the business concepts they have developed during the HUB.
Professional Integration HUB is initiated and funded by ERSTE Foundation and implemented by the European Centre for Freedom and Independence (EUCFI). The entrepreneurship curriculum of HUB 4.0 is delivered by IFTE#Entrepreneurship4Youth.
We thank the Vienna Business Agency for hosting the Opening event and for its continued support of Ukrainian professionals in Vienna, as well as Professional Integration HUB and its participants.
Explore the photo gallery from the event:
With 26 participants, a new entrepreneurship curriculum and four months of intensive work ahead, Professional Integration HUB 4.0 is officially underway!
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