Building the CEE startup ecosystem

Tessa McIver talks to Bogusława Cimoszko-Skowroński, founder and board member of the MIT Enterprise Forum CEE, an innovator, investor and startup ecosystem builder. In 2015, Bogy, an MIT alumna, launched the MIT Enterprise Forum Poland accelerator programme, which later evolved into the CEE accelerator. To date, the programme has accelerated nearly 300 startups and built connections between the startup and corporate worlds. Why was it worth creating an infrastructure for startups to grow in the CEE region? What changes and developments has it seen in the Polish and wider CEE landscape in recent years? What can we in Poland learn from institutions like MIT? The startup ecosystem in Poland is thriving, but what more do we need to strengthen innovation in the region?