Our third Academy for Entrepreneurs took place from July 7 to 9, 2025, on the fantastic island of Pico in the Azores, supporting 5 teams of entrepreneurs who took on the challenge of developing business ideas to tackle the threats to the Pico Island Nature Park as a business opportunity. Organized in partnership with Connectology and supported by local and national organizations and experts, the Academy offered participants practical knowledge in entrepreneurship, funding frameworks, and pitch development.

The Pico Island Nature Park is one of the most important protected areas of Macaronesia, where the stunning mountain, whales and dolphins, seabirds, volcanic caves, and still well-preserved areas of the native laurel forest constitute a fantastic ecological asset. The nature value is complemented by the UNESCO World Heritage traditional wine landscape that adds a cultural and social dimension to this protected area.

Following the hackathon organized by the park and Nature Returns last March and the subsequent call for entrepreneurs, we received 5 applications of business projects that can potentially have a positive impact on the management and conservation of the Pico Island Nature Park. The expected impact focuses the threats of invasive plant species and introduced invasive mammals, as well as the lack of awareness of the local community on the values and the importance of this amazing Nature Park.

During the Academy, five promising business ideas were presented — each designed to generate income while contributing to the conservation goals of Lonjsko Polje:

• Hunting feral animals that have impact on the Park’s ecological values and producing infusions from native plants of the Azores through control of invasive plants and ecological restoration.
• Producing biochar and generating carbon credits from invasive species.
• Organising a nature festival to aware local and foreign audiences on the importance of the Nature Park and bringing activities that value this protected area.
• Consulting on Nature-based Solutions that can be used on restoration activities in the park in private land, as well as providing services for its application.
• Establishing tourism and leisure facilities based on bees and pollinators.

Participants benefited from expert guidance provided by Paulo Andrez (Connectology), Luís Catarino (Territórios Criativos), Sofia Bravo (Agência Nacional de Inovação), and Rui Raposo (Azorean Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) . The programme included sessions on risk mitigation, networking, funding opportunities, and dedicated time for pitch development and improvement of the business proposals.

We now look forward to seeing these ideas being presented as final business plans to be supported by Nature Returns’ incubation grants, helping Pico remain a living example of how people and nature can thrive together.