Summer Startup Programme has University campus buzzing with innovation
Published: 15 July 2026
While graduation ceremonies may mark the end of the academic year for many students, the University of Glasgow is still alive with enterprise and innovation.
While graduation ceremonies may mark the end of the academic year for many students, the University of Glasgow is still alive with enterprise and innovation.
Across lecture theatres and teaching spaces, a different kind of learning is taking place as aspiring entrepreneurs take part in the University’s Summer Startup Programme.
The programme, delivered by the University’s Student & Graduate Enterprise team, offers a comprehensive series of workshops designed to help students, graduates and early-stage founders turn ideas into viable businesses.
Running throughout June, July and August, the sessions cover every stage of the entrepreneurial journey – from developing a business model and testing ideas, to securing finance, understanding intellectual property and building sales strategies.
This year’s schedule features expert-led sessions including Business Model Canvas, Lean Startup, Market Research, Raising Finance, Legal Set Up, AI for Business, Pitching, Product Design, Brand Building and Networking. Participants will also benefit from specialist advice from business consultants, legal experts, entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Marion Anderson, Student & Graduate Enterprise Manager at the University of Glasgow, said: “People often imagine that university campuses fall silent once graduation season ends, but the reality is quite different. Throughout the summer, our lecture rooms become spaces where ideas are challenged, refined and transformed into real business opportunities.
“The Summer Startup Programme gives students and graduates practical skills, access to expert guidance and the confidence to take their first steps as entrepreneurs. It is inspiring to see so much creativity and ambition on campus during the summer months.”
The University of Glasgow’s Student and Graduate Enterprise service provides tailored support from idea to launch, including one-to-one advice, workshops, mentoring, funding opportunities, legal/IP guidance, networking and incubator space.
In recent years it has supported hundreds of student and graduate-led ventures spanning technology, health, AI, sustainability, social enterprise, creative industries and digital businesses.
This year, the Summer Startup Programme received 87 sign-ups in total, with more women (55%) than men, and seven participants from Glasgow Caledonian University, which has a partnership with the University of Glasgow through the Scottish Funding Council-backed Innovation3 Exchange, which provides joint support, funding and development opportunities for student, graduate and staff entrepreneurs.
Michael King, Executive Director for Enterprise & Economic Development at the University of Glasgow, said: “The Summer Student Enterprise Programme equips students with the entrepreneurial mindset and commercial skills that enable them to create value wherever their careers take them.
“By bringing together students, graduates, business leaders and sector specialists, we are creating an environment where new ventures can emerge and thrive.”
First published: 15 July 2026