The University of Oldenburg and the City of Oldenburg are intensifying their cooperation in academic start-up support. Lord Mayor Jürgen Krogmann and University President Prof. Dr Dr Hans Michael Piper signed a cooperation agreement to this effect.
The agreement provides for even closer networking between the university's Start-up and Innovation Centre (GIZ) and the city administration. The two partners want to coordinate their efforts to drive forward more joint projects and formats in future. To this end, the city is supporting the GIZ with 10,000 euros over the next three years.
"In close cooperation with the city, we want to further increase the number of start-ups based on our expertise in science and technology," said University President Piper. Oldenburg and its surrounding area is an attractive start-up region, especially for knowledge and technology-based projects - this needs to be publicised even more nationally.
"The agreement builds on the already very successful cooperation between the university and the city. Targeted start-up support lays the foundation for new jobs in a dynamically growing city. The planned expansion of the technology park near the university also fits into this strategy," explained Lord Mayor Krogmann.
On average, around eight knowledge-based and high-tech companies are founded each year in the vicinity of the University of Oldenburg and the GIZ alone. They face particular challenges when planning and realising their projects, for example when it comes to patents and property rights, creating new markets or building prototypes. Intensified co-operation with the city and the creation of joint support services are intended to help start-ups achieve even greater long-term success and encourage more founders.
The city and university also want to involve players such as GIZ gGmbH, the Oldenburg Technology and Start-up Centre (TGO), the Business Start-up Agency for Women (EFA), the region's universities and chambers in their joint efforts to improve Oldenburg's start-up climate. The partners also want to work towards greater support from the state of Lower Saxony for start-up funding in the north-west.