SUNECO – Co-creating Sustainable Entrepreneurial University Ecosystems

SUNECO is an international collaboration between Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) and the University of Cape Town (UCT), aimed at strengthening entrepreneurial university ecosystems in both Norway and South Africa.

Through joint innovation projects, student mobility, comparative research and engagement with regional entrepreneurial networks, the project will promote inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship. Activities include cross-cultural student teams, hackathons, internship programs, and collaboration with business incubators and NGOs.

The project runs from 2025 to 2027 and is funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) through the UTFORSK program.

Project Participants:

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)

Kari Håvåg Voldsund (Project Manager)
Inger Beate Pettersen
Tore Frimanslund
Several academic contributors from the HVL Business School and the Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences

University of Cape Town (UCT)

Stuart Hendry (Project Coordinator)
James Lappeman
Anthony Hill
Researchers and educators affiliated with the Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, and the Genesis Program

Charne Verster, a student at the University of Cape Town and participant in SUNECO's student exchange Co-creating Sustainable Entrepreneurial University Ecosystems, is behind Smart School Shoes – a social innovation that recently secured her and her team 5th place in South Africa's largest national student innovation competition.

The Suneco Explore project held an inspiring and successful workshop in Cape Town in the fall of 2025, hosted by Hasso Plattner d-school Africa at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The workshop marked the start of an exciting international collaboration between Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) and the University of Cape Town, with the goal of co-creating sustainable university ecosystems.

The student exchange within SUNECO is designed to strengthen cross-cultural learning, build entrepreneurial mindsets, and deepen collaboration between students from HVL and UCT.

Modified 17.12.25

SUNECO – Co-creating Sustainable Entrepreneurial University Ecosystems

Project Participants:

SUNECO participant behind award-winning innovation – 5th place in national innovation competition in South Africa

Workshop in Cape Town: Collaboration for Sustainable University Ecosystems

Bridging Continents Through Student Mobility - Entrepreneurial learning between the Global North and South