My Erasmus exchange took place in a tourist and cultural structure in the south of Italy. My host was Ecoverticale : the gathering of two hotels which also hosts events such as exhibitions, concerts, cooking classes and also digital nomads. I’m an engineer in sustainable architecture and I had the chance to participate in an Erasmus + event on eco-tourism which familiarized me with this sector. Since I started my engineering training I wanted to create my own company. My business idea is a construction space that would allow students or volunteers to learn how to renovate an old building. This space would be an experimental space with different types of users: students but also tourists as well as people living on site. This building will be a living subject of experimentation : people who would live inside could give their feedback directly. So I was looking for an host that has a multiple activity to understand how a structure can meet several needs while not neglecting quality.
During this exchange I first learned how the structure worked, the different roles of each person and especially how to operate a hotel. I was able to participate in the organization of events and the main attachment in which I participated was obtaining an ecological label for the hotel as well as finding solutions in order to meet the criteria of this label. During this exchange I was alongside the host which allowed me to ask all the questions I had and to learn more.
Now I have a much clearer vision of the knowledge I lack in order to carry out my project. I have also modified my main idea by focusing on a smaller project at first, that is to say, launching myself as a self-employed entrepreneur in the field of architectural engineering. It turns out that a person in this company is an architect, so this contact will allow me to initially launch my activity. During this exchange I was able to understand how a business worked, especially by learning a work methodology.
This experience taught me to adapt to another language because I didn’t know Italian before arriving in Italy. This experience also allowed me to gain confidence in my ability to integrate into a field far from mine. I am really happy to have had this opportunity it enriched my professional career.