On 29 May 2026, the Heritage & Business Ideas Incubator brought together students and PhD candidates at the University of Economics – Varna for an inspiring co-creation session dedicated to transforming cultural heritage into innovative business ideas.
Organized within the Cultural BEES project, the incubator challenged participants to explore how archaeological sites, historic buildings, local traditions, crafts, and cultural spaces can become drivers of entrepreneurship, social innovation, and sustainable local development.
The event gathered 11 participants, divided into three interdisciplinary teams. Throughout the session, they were guided by an experienced moderator, while two facilitators supported the teams through brainstorming and idea development. A jury composed of three professors and representatives of the business sector evaluated the final concepts and provided valuable feedback.
In just one intensive session, each team developed a complete Business Model Canvas, resulting in three original concepts:
- A gamified cultural heritage mobile application encouraging visitors to discover historical sites by collecting virtual artifacts of different rarity levels. Users would earn rewards, discounts, and benefits from local museums, restaurants, and cultural venues while exploring destinations in an engaging way.
- “Stanchova House” Social Activities Space, a proposal to transform a historic building into an inclusive community center for children with special needs, offering educational workshops, gardening activities, cultural events, and opportunities for social integration.
- Alternative Youth Center in the “Hristo Botev” Old Manufacturing Building, an idea for revitalizing an industrial heritage site into a vibrant youth hub featuring creative workshops, exhibitions, dance studios, graffiti spaces, cultural events, and social activities.
The incubator demonstrated how cultural assets can become a source of entrepreneurship, social impact, and community development. Most importantly, it showcased the creativity, collaboration, and innovative thinking of young people eager to shape the future by building on the values of the past.
The Heritage & Business Ideas Incubator successfully transformed creative thinking into three promising business concepts, proving that innovation rooted in culture has the potential to generate meaningful benefits for local communities and future generations.
