Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Awards Startup Factory RUHR
- UA Ruhr
- Founding & Transfer
- Top News
With the UA Ruhr, the Ruhr area is not only home to international top-tier research but also offers enormous potential for technological innovation, as already demonstrated by the successful startup centers of the three universities: the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) of TU Dortmund University, GUIDE of the University Duisburg-Essen, and the Worldfactory of Ruhr University Bochum. In the future, the partners of Startup Factory RUHR aim to collectively unlock this innovation potential, further expand startup activities at the universities in the Ruhr area, and bring even more ideas from science to the market. In the upcoming concept phase, they will establish the organizational and structural foundations for launching and operating the Startup Factory RUHR as a business venture. The RAG Foundation will contribute the private-sector financing share of up to 10 million euros.
In the context of the “25 Years of EXIST” congress on 6 June in Berlin, Federal Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr. Robert Habeck, announced that Startup Factory RUHR has been selected as one of 15 projects nationwide in a highly competitive process for the concept phase of the German Federal Government’s Startup Factories lighthouse competition. 125 universities and research institutions had applied with 26 projects. After the completion of the multi-stage competition, up to 10 Startup Factories will be established nationwide to significantly increase the number and quality of knowledge-based spin-offs. The project phase is scheduled to start in June 2025. At least 50 percent of the financing will come from private sources. Federal Minister Habeck: “The selection of 15 projects for the concept phase of the Startup Factories is a milestone in Germany’s development into a leading startup nation. Together with economic actors and private investors, we want to use this to give the support landscape for startups from science a boost.”
The UA Ruhr has two strong partners for the project on its side: BRYCK contributes its expertise in company building, startup scaling, and its network of leading industrial companies, experts, and investors. The RAG Foundation acts as a private-sector partner, providing up to 10 million euros in funding for the five-year project phase of Startup Factory RUHR.
Statements of the partners
Prof. Manfred Bayer, President of TU Dortmund University, explains: “About 40 years ago, the groundbreaking ceremony for the technology center took place in Dortmund, right next to the campus. Now we are joining forces in the Ruhr area to advance science-based innovations for future industries throughout the region.” Prof. Dr. Barbara Albert, President of University Duisburg-Essen, describes the goals of the engagement: “In recent years, the three Ruhr area universities have bundled their top research in the UA Ruhr. They are the nucleus of the Ruhr area’s transformation into a knowledge landscape, from which startups with international reach develop.” Prof. Dr. Martin Paul, President of Ruhr University Bochum, states: “In science, ideas are born every day. They are the basis for creating something new and shaping the world of tomorrow. For several years, the universities of the UA Ruhr have been combining their top research with entrepreneurial spirit, thus making a contribution of international significance to innovation ‘Made in Germany’.”
Bernd Tönjes, Chairman of the Board of the RAG Foundation, emphasizes: “The Ruhr area has transformed from a mining region to a science region. The unique university landscape of the region is an important breeding ground for new technologies and business start-ups. With the Startup Factory RUHR, we intend to inspire students in the Ruhr area to act entrepreneurially and to bring scientific innovations into practice more quickly. We are very pleased that we were able to convince the jury and can now take the next steps in establishing Startup Factory RUHR.” Christian Lüdtke, CEO of BRYCK, comments: “The selection for the concept phase is an important first milestone and a tremendous confirmation of our vision of an internationally recognized startup factory in the Ruhr area. With Startup Factory RUHR, we want to build a lighthouse that becomes a magnet for tech talents from all over Europe and where internationally successful, high-growth tech startups will emerge to solve global challenges.”
More information about the Startup Factories lighthouse competition of the Federal Government
Further information about the partners
Since 2007, Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been working closely together in the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr). With over 110,000 students and nearly 1,300 professors, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and most powerful academic locations in Germany.
The private-law RAG Foundation was established in 2007. Since the beginning of 2019, it has taken over the financing of the so-called eternal tasks of German hard coal mining in the Ruhr, Saar, and Ibbenbüren regions. With numerous projects in the fields of education, science, and culture, the foundation is also sending positive signals to the former mining regions.
BRYCK, the startup and innovation hub initiated by the RAG Foundation, has the ambition to become one of the leading startup centers in Europe. BRYCK accelerates the growth of startups by providing faster access to capital, customers, and talents. The startup center focuses specifically on B2B tech startups with strong founding teams that contribute to solving major global challenges such as the energy transition, the de-carbonization of industry, and a more innovative healthcare system. In doing so, BRYCK cooperates with leading industrial companies, investors, experts, and universities. Since BRYCK’s launch in 2022, over 70 startups from 16 different countries have already completed individually tailored programs customized to their needs.