December 11, 2019

Funding of around €2 million for four years through the "Raising Potentials" priority of the EXIST program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) now enables Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences - Technology and Economics to establish its own university institute for entrepreneurship.

"Successful start-ups at and from universities require appropriate framework conditions within a university-wide start-up culture," says Prof. Dr. Franz Quint, Vice Rector for Research, Cooperation and Quality Management at the university. "Three years ago, we were able to set up a start-up lab at the university through the "G-Lab" project and, through new lecture concepts, rooms and special events for those interested in start-ups, we were able to bring the topic of 'entrepreneurship' closer to our students and lay the foundation for a start-up culture at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences." The university would like to extend these concepts now over the successful application "start-upKMU" within the EXIST program of the BMWi by the structure of its own institute for Entrepreneurship surface covering all its faculties, structurally develop and so also lastingly stabilize.

With it, the university would like to connect two important economic success factors more strongly: Start-ups and the start-up scene on the one hand, and successful medium-sized businesses on the other.

Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences itself is one of the most research-intensive universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg. With the new institute, the innovation potential of research results from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences is to be systematically raised and form the basis for start-ups. The expansion of the already existing network with other research institutions and universities, such as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Aalen University of Applied Sciences, leads to further research results, which are analyzed and evaluated for their start-up potential via "startupKMU" together with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The special feature here is that the startup projects are then to be realized via joint ventures between one or more SMEs and those willing to start up at the university.

The EXIST funding program

"EXIST-Potentials" is a funding program of the BMWi, which aims to improve the start-up climate at universities and non-university research institutions. Above all, technology-oriented and knowledge-based start-ups are promoted. To this end, the BMWi also supports university graduates, scientists and students through start-up grants, which can be applied for via the universities. In addition, a lively and sustainable start-up culture has been promoted in competitions via EXIST since 1998. For more information, visit www.exist.de.