Two Luxembourg teams will take to the European stage this week as they compete at GEN-E 2026, Europe’s largest entrepreneurship festival for young people and the annual European championship organised by Junior Achievement Europe. Held in Riga from 7 to 9 July, the event will bring together the winners of national entrepreneurship competitions from more than 40 countries to showcase their ventures before international juries of entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and innovation experts.
Luxembourg’s representatives earned their place by winning JEL Day 2026, the national final organised by Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg (JEL). The non-profit organisation has promoted entrepreneurship education in Luxembourg since 2005 through practical, “learning by doing” programmes for young people aged 9 to 25. As Luxembourg’s member organisation of the Junior Achievement Europe network, it selects the teams that go on to represent Luxembourg at the European finals.
Two innovations, two categories
Luxembourg will be represented by two teams competing in different categories.
SoilStallion, a mini-company from Lycée Aline Mayrisch run by Pierre Clemes, Ilias Derchoul, Amin Licina and Samuel Petri, will represent Luxembourg in the JA Europe Company of the Year competition for upper-secondary students. The team has developed a premium organic fertiliser made from pasteurised horse manure, offering a natural and environmentally friendly solution designed to improve soil quality and structure over the long term.
Smart4Leak, from Lycée Guillaume Kroll, will compete in the JA Europe Startup of the Year category. As part of Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg’s Startup Programme, Anton Savitchi, Diogo José Bento Soares, Alexandre Greven and Daniel Francisco Silva have developed a sensor capable of detecting water leaks in real time by analysing pipe vibrations, helping identify problems before they become more serious.
More than a competition
Selected from more than 400,000 young people participating in Junior Achievement programmes across Europe each year, the teams competing at Gen-E represent the organisation’s top student entrepreneurs. Beyond competing for European titles, participants spend three days presenting their projects, exchanging ideas and building connections with fellow entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders from across the continent.
This year’s edition is held under the theme “Beyond Borders”, highlighting cross-border collaboration and innovation. Projects on display span sectors, including sustainability, the circular economy, artificial intelligence, digital innovation, health technologies and social impact, reflecting many of the challenges shaping Europe’s economic future.
“Gen-E is much more than a competition – it’s a unique European learning experience,” says Myriam Baustert, programmes manager at Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg. “Our Luxembourgish teams will have the opportunity to present their projects alongside the best young entrepreneurs from across Europe, challenge their ideas before an experienced international jury and gain invaluable feedback.”
The opening ceremony and stage presentations will be livestreamed on 8 July, with the Gen-E Gala Awards taking place on 9 July. Luxembourg is also set to host the next edition of the festival, with Gen-E 2027 scheduled to take place in the Grand Duchy from 6 to 9 July.
