I am Justine Noyer, sociolinguistics researcher and proactive EU Project Officer. After completing my studies, I combined my academic background with more than ten years of experience in international cooperation to build my career within European programs, with a special emphasis on Research&Innovation projects. I worked for two years for a European alliance, but I had always wanted to make use of my double degrees with Italy and explore the possibility of building my professional future there. This is precisely what led me to the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program.
In Italy, different bodies increasingly seek external expertise to access European funding opportunities and manage complex international collaborations. At the same time, many professionals working in EU project development in Italy operate as independent consultants under a Partita IVA framework, making specialized entrepreneurial activities a common model within this sector.
I joined this mobility with two main objectives in mind. First, I want to understand how to establish my independent professional activity in Italy, supporting universities, research institutions, NGOs, public bodies, associations, and SMEs in the development, management and reporting of European projects. Second, I want to learn about the variety of European projects, particularly those related to training and capacity building. I saw this opportunity as a way to help me become an independent professional while expanding my skill set.
During these first weeks at Exeo Lab, I have been discovering the organisation’s way of working, and getting involved in different activities related to European initiative and project development such as Horizon, europeaid, erasmus KA1&KA2, Cerv-Daphne and capacity-building projects. What is particularly exciting is the diversity of topics I encounter from one project to another: agribusinesses, public procurement, circular economy, gender violence, financial technologies, sustainability, and AI-powered cultural intelligence. I have already had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of training modules, proposals’ adjustments to the Funding & Tenders Portal, and budget monitoring. And perhaps one of the most memorable moments so far came during my third week, when I travelled to Portugal to participate in a project meeting and represent Exeo Lab in front of our partners. Last but not least, I am also getting involved in the INNEXA alliance for Industry, Research and Innovation, which is particularly meaningful as I will be participating in the creation and development of an international community from the business point of view.
What I find particularly interesting is being able to look at familiar activities from another perspective. I already have experience with EU projects, but now I am paying much more attention to their entrepreneurial dimension: how opportunities are identified, how partnerships are developed, how ideas are transformed into projects, and how relationships with stakeholders and potential clients are built.
I already feel that EYE is complimenting the identity I have built: not only as a researcher or project officer, but as someone capable of creating and developing her own professional activity.