The University's Start-up and Innovation Centre is continuing its successful work: the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is extending funding from the EXIST IV programme for a further two years. The central theme of the second project phase: "Female Entrepreneurship".
The University of Oldenburg can further expand its commitment to supporting start-ups. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is extending funding from the EXIST IV programme for a further two years. From autumn 2014, the University will thus further strengthen the start-up climate on campus - with professional advice, a focus on forward-looking start-up topics in research and teaching and a comprehensive transfer strategy.
"This is an important success for the further expansion of our start-up university, which is committed to a culture of creativity and entrepreneurial independence on campus," said Prof. Dr Katharina Al-Shamery, President of the University of Oldenburg. "In the second phase of the project, we are focussing on the topic of 'female entrepreneurship' in order to sensitise women in particular - more than half of our students - to the topic. After all, they have a particularly high inhibition threshold when it comes to starting a business." The university will therefore appoint Dr Stephanie Birkner as a junior professor for female entrepreneurship from October.
Another focus will be on the topic of sustainable entrepreneurship. "Sustainability issues are strongly anchored in research and teaching at the University of Oldenburg, and there is great interest in 'green' start-up projects," says Al-Shamery.
Almost three years ago, the BMWi recognised the University of Oldenburg as an EXIST start-up university. Since then, it has been recognised as one of the best start-up universities in Germany. Thanks to the award and the associated funding, the University of Oldenburg has been able to set new priorities in recent years. In 2012, for example, it opened the Start-up and Innovation Centre (GIZ), which serves as a central point of contact for people interested in setting up a business from universities in the north-west. In contrast to the national trend, which shows a decline in start-ups, the GIZ has recorded significantly more spin-offs and supervised start-up projects than expected. By October 2014, the GIZ had helped five start-up teams to receive EXIST funding.
The Professorship of Entrepreneurship has initiated new formats such as Eco Venturing, the start-up internship and the IdeaJam - in close cooperation with Oldenburg's business community. "Excellent start-up support in partnership with the regional economy - this is the motto of the Entrepreneurship School. Over the last two years, we have shown how valuable Oldenburg's business landscape is for supporting our start-ups," emphasises Prof. Dr Alexander Nicolai, Chair of Entrepreneurship.
The new project phase will see a change in management at the GIZ. Dr Petra Buchholz, who has helped shape the university's start-up culture from the very beginning, is taking on new tasks in the start-up sector. Miriam Wiediger, an experienced start-up consultant who has worked at GIZ since the end of 2013, will take over as head. "I'm looking forward to the new challenge and see it as a great opportunity to further develop the University of Oldenburg as a place where creative ideas are generated," says Wiediger.