Founding Meets the City
Contact
Janneke Mertens-Fabian
Marketing & Entrepreneurial Awareness
Phone: +49 (0) 441 798 4946
Office: V03-0-W-008 / M 1- 184
Email:
Annalena Klauck
Marketing and Entrepreneurial Awareness for "Founding Meets the City" Project
Tel: +49(0)441-798 4959
Office: V03-0-W-008
Email:
Franziska Bischoff
Startup Consultant for "Founding Meets the City" Project
Phone: +49 (0) 441 798 4931
Office: V03-0-W-008
Email:
Founding Meets the City
Founding Meets the City
Establishment of a "Center for Startup Activities" and "Market Research Lab" for Sustainability and Energy Projects
The project “Founding Meets the City” is designed to spark new ideas and action beyond the university, enrich the city center, and contribute to the economic, social, and sustainable development of Oldenburg and the surrounding region. To achieve this, the University of Oldenburg (UOL) is expanding the existing GIZ and Innovation Campus infrastructure with a new downtown location, thereby forming an "innovation triangle."
(from Infographic) "Innovation Triangle:" 1) Problem Identification 2) Solution development 3) Protoyping 4) Market Research 5) Progress Measurement 6) Learn from Feedback → sustainable innovations
The Schlaues Haus Oldenburg provides a central entrepreneurial space with eight workstations for founders, offices for startup consulting, and a market research lab. The center makes innovation and startup activities, particularly in sustainability and energy, visible and accessible to both experts and the wider public. By engaging the community early and encouraging active participation, the project fosters innovation that responds to real needs and supports the creation of more startups and new businesses in the region.
The expansion of the infrastructure is complemented by systematic innovation scouting within the university. By raising awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship in research and teaching, the use of this infrastructure is encouraged, strengthening startup and innovation activity at the UOL.
The project “Founding Meets the City” is is supported by various regional partners:
- City of Oldenburg
- The Schlaues Haus Oldenburg gGmbH
- the Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth
- EWE AG
- Oldenburg Energy Cluster OLEC e.V.
Key data of the project
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) / Guidelines on the award of grants to promote innovation by universities and research institutions - 2.2.1 Start-up and innovation spaces
- Applicant: University of Oldenburg
- Project leader: Franziska Gloeden, Team Leader Transfer/Department for Research and Technology Transfer
- Duration: 3 years (01.06.2025 to 31.05.2028)
- Funding amount: € 999,363.15
- The project is funded by the European Union and the participation of the state of Lower Saxony.(Funds from the European Social Fund Plus / European Regional Development Fund)
A venue for innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and exchange has opened in the heart of Oldenburg
Last Tuesday, 18 August 2026, we, the project team, had the great pleasure of opening the new market research laboratory and celebrating a special milestone in the “Gründung findet Stadt” project together with our partners and guests. Following a welcome address by the Vice-President for Research and Transfer, Prof. Dr Ralf Grüttemeier, and a brief presentation of the project itself by team and project leader Franziska Gloeden, the audience was treated to an engaging talk on market research and start-ups by Dr Tobias Recke (smart insights GmbH). The event was rounded off by a presentation from Memoryfy, a start-up currently supported by the University of Oldenburg’s Start-up and Innovation Centre (GIZ), followed by a networking session over snacks and drinks.
With the market research laboratory in the ‘Schlaues Haus’, the ‘Innovations3eck’ – which also comprises the GIZ and the Innovation Campus – is now complete. Thanks to the support of strong partners – OLEC e.V., EWE AG, The Smart House Oldenburg, Jade University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg and the City of Oldenburg – a shared, regional ecosystem is emerging that supports start-up and innovation projects, particularly in the fields of energy and sustainability, and promotes knowledge transfer between academia, industry and society.
A workspace with five workstations is now available on-site for those interested in setting up a start-up, providing a practical space in which to test ideas, gain insights and make well-informed decisions about the next steps in the start-up process. The market research laboratory – and in particular the ‘start-up showcase’ – is also intended to give the wider public (including those outside the field) the opportunity to gain an insight into innovation and start-up activities. By engaging the wider community at an early stage, the aim is to foster needs-based innovations that will lead to more business start-ups and start-ups in the region.
Opening of the market research laboratory
Preparations are in full swing: we will soon be opening our new market research laboratory as part of the “Gründung findet Stadt” project . With this laboratory, we are creating an innovative space where those interested in starting a business can learn about, test and apply practical market research methods to their own ideas.
We are particularly looking forward to moving into our new premises at The Smart House Oldenburg shortly. The move is imminent and marks an important milestone for the project. With its central location in the heart of the city, it will become a vibrant hub for exchange, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.