Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) took part in the official launch of the Fomento de la Innovación y la Investigación Transdisciplinaria en las Universidades para el Desarrollo Sostenible e Inclusivo en la Región Centroamericana (FIDUCA) project, held on 11 February 2026 at the Local San Carlos Campus of the Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC).
The kickoff event brought together representatives of the 12 participating institutions from Central America and Europe. The gathering also included a three‑day coordination meeting (11–13 February), during which project partners planned the implementation activities for the coming years.
ELTE was represented by Miklós Gábor, ELTE’s FIDUCA coordinator, and Dr. Barbara Hegyi, member of the ELTE Center of Academic and Business Cooperation. Both attended the kickoff meeting and contributed to the initial planning discussions.
A Regional Consortium for Sustainable and Inclusive Development
FIDUCA is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project funded by the European Union. It aims to strengthen the capacities of universities in Central America to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and transdisciplinary research that supports sustainable and inclusive development, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities.
Across its implementation from January 2026 to December 2028, the project is expected to benefit approximately 7,500 people through training and mentoring programs, activities fostering youth entrepreneurship, support for local leadership, and the development of transdisciplinary research initiatives.
A major output of FIDUCA will be the creation of the Observatory of Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development (ODES), an R&D‑based platform aimed at supporting long‑term knowledge generation and monitoring entrepreneurial initiatives in the region.
An International Partnership Led by the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá
The consortium includes 12 institutions from Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, France, Hungary, and Spain, along with affiliated partners in Honduras and Panama. The project is coordinated by the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP).
European partners include the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France), and Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) (Hungary). These institutions support knowledge exchange in innovation, entrepreneurship, and transdisciplinary research, working closely with Central American partners to strengthen academic and community‑oriented capacities.