To connect the existing start-up support in north-west Lower Saxony and Bremen and to seamlessly organise the start-up journey - i.e. the path from the initial start-up idea to market entry as a company - through complementary offers: That is the goal of the "Lighthouse Northwest - Shining across Borders" project. Yesterday, the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen received funding approval for the nine-month concept phase from Dr Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

For this ambitious project, nine regional universities have joined forces under the leadership of the Universities of Bremen and Oldenburg with strong support from the regional economy. The project was selected for funding and honoured by Habeck at the EXIST Congress to mark the 25th anniversary of federal start-up support. As one of 15 projects nationwide, Lighthouse Northwest - in German: "Leuchtturm Nordwest" - will start the nine-month concept phase of the EXIST Startup Factories funding line from July 2024.

"Lighthouse Northwest is the Startup Factory of the Northwest. In the region with the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg, universities and non-university research institutes, we are an ideal breeding ground for technology-orientated and knowledge-based start-ups and make an important contribution to solving social challenges. In close cooperation with the business community, we want to massively advance the start-up scene here in the region and make it internationally renowned," says Prof Dr Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen, describing the project.

Ambitious goals for the north-west

The goals are ambitious: As a so-called Startup Factory for the entire Bremen/Northwest Lower Saxony region, Lighthouse Northwest aims to support startups in the foundation and growth phase. The factory is based on a broad alliance of excellent science at universities and a high density of non-university research institutes that is unique in Germany, agile and innovative start-up support and a traditionally cosmopolitan entrepreneurial community.

"It's about a paradigm shift: all the players involved see themselves as a regional, cross-institutional team. This was already clearly noticeable during the application phase. Whether in science, start-up support or companies - the motivation is great to establish a holistic Startup Journey in north-west Lower Saxony and Bremen with a common mission. The more than 60 expressions of interest from the region are impressive proof of this," says Oldenburg University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder.

Support from the economy

The federal start-up funding programme works as follows: In the concept phase, a viable and innovative business model is developed for a Startup Factory. This model can then be subsidised by the federal government with up to 10 million euros over a period of five years. The second half of the financing must be provided by private investment from industry. After the funding period, the factory should be self-sustaining and permanently available to the region. Thanks to the support of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce - IHK for Bremen and Bremerhaven, the Oldenburg chemicals company BÜFA Group, the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and other regional players, significant letters of intent have already been received for the financing of the Startup Factory. "The northern German economy is supporting the Lighthouse Northwest project with great enthusiasm and strong interest. We are convinced that this initiative will further strengthen the startup scene in our region," explains Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht, President of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce. Felix Thalmann, Chair of the University Council of the University of Oldenburg and CEO of the BÜFA Group, also confirms this: "The support from the region's business community was unprecedented and is a crucial building block for the success of the Startup Factory."

Start-up support at the universities

Start-up support at the lead locations of Oldenburg and Bremen is a success story: since its opening in 2012, the Start-up and Innovation Centre (GIZ) in Oldenburg has supported more than 600 start-up projects, from which 148 start-ups have been founded - many of which have been awarded top-class prizes. BRIDGE - Gründen aus Bremer Hochschulen is a partnership between Bremen's universities and Bremer Aufbau-Bank that has been in existence for more than 20 years. It is the central contact point for students, alumni and members of Bremen's universities on the subject of business start-ups. The BRIDGE network registers around 20 start-ups a year from Bremen's universities.

In addition to the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg, Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth, Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences, Vechta University, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, Constructor University Bremen and Bremen University of the Arts support the Lighthouse Northwest project.