Unipreneurs is an initiative to strengthen spin-offs at German universities. It was launched by Matthias Hilpert and Martin Schilling, who also enlisted partner organizations such as the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany), the Startup Association, Bitkom, and AddedVal.io.
The initiative recognizes professors who play a key role in promoting start-ups in higher education. From approximately 700 nominations, a board of trustees selected 20 outstanding professors, who were honored with the Unipreneurs Award at the Allianz Forum in Berlin in early September. Among the guests of honor were Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, and Anna Christmann, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Startups at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
“A driving force for Germany’s innovative strength and future viability”
Bettina Stark-Watzinger about the importance of the award-winning professors:
"We want to strengthen the start-up scene at our universities. Professors play a central role in this. They contribute significantly to the start-up culture at universities and are important drivers of Germany's innovative strength and future viability."
Anna Christmann added:
"The award-winning professors embody the outstanding combination of academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit. Their contributions to the transfer of innovations to industry are of inestimable value to Germany as a center of innovation and deserve the highest recognition."
Establishment of a start-up center in Munich
Among the honored professors is UnternehmerTUM-CEO and Vice President Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of MunichHelmut Schönenberger. Schönenberger studied aerospace engineering in Stuttgart and completed a postgraduate degree in business administration at the Technical University of Munich. In his thesis, he compared Stanford University with TUM and recommended the establishment of a business incubator in Munich. Together with Susanne Klatten, he launched UnternehmerTUM in 2002. The center supports entrepreneurs with a Variety of different programs and servicesUnternehmerTUM's employees support founders from market entry to IPO. Through its investment arm UVC Partners The incubator also provides venture capital.
In the Laudation by Unipreneurs says about Helmut Schönenberger’s commitment:
"Helmut Schönenberger's passion is to lead promising startups to success and inspire people to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship. He pursues the goal of supporting scalable high-tech startups, founders, and scientists from the initial idea to the successful product."
