In 2019, the University of Oldenburg successfully acquired a lighthouse project for start-up promotion in the "EXIST Potentials" programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy: The project "The Start-up University of Oldenburg - Engine of a Cross-Border Start-up Region" sets a regional focus. In addition to establishing a "Start-up Region Northwest", which also includes cooperation with the neighbouring Dutch universities, the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and the Hanzehogeschool in Groningen, the project aims to develop a digital platform for start-up support and promoting knowledge and technology-based spin-offs in the university's growth areas of digitalisation and health.