First Place in Start-Up Radar: Aalen University promotes Start-Ups the best in GermanyAward for the promotion of student start-ups

The Innovation Center INNO-Z can be found right on Aalen University’s campus.

Fr, 12. March 2021

For the first time, Aalen University has achieved first place in the start-up radar for universities with 5,000 to 15,000 students. The Technical University of Munich and the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management were able to defend their positions in their categories.

Kindling the start-up spirit, staying open for innovations, helping students find their passion to become entrepreneurs – these are goals that Aalen University has placed. The current start-up radar from the Stifterverband confirms that Aalen University has created an excellent start-up culture for its students, as it was able to compete with all other public and private universities with 5,000 to 15,000 students. Aalen University received especially high marks in the categories “entrepreneur sensibilization and qualification,” “support for students,” as well as “networking.” “An extraordinarily positive result, not only for Aalen University but for our entire region,” exclaims county commissioner and head of the board of trustees, Klaus Pavel.

Over 100 student-led projects and innovative start-ups have come out of Aalen University’s support the past years, which have become successful companies. The opportunities for support for potential entrepreneurs at Aalen University are as diverse as the start-up ideas. Besides the course lectures in their education, students are also encouraged to develop their own business concepts from participating in idea competitions, talks with other entrepreneurs, as well as collaborations with companies and partners from the region. “We want to sensitize our students to think about start-up ideas and give them the necessary tools to build up their company,” says University President Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schneider.

The university’s start-up initiative start-UP!de, as well as the Innovation Center INNO-Z are important players for this. Christian Kling from stAArt-UP!de: „Aalen University receiving the top ranking in the latest start-up radar didn’t come just from the strong and systematic collaborations between the institutions like the GründerCampus, stAArt-UP!de, MBD und INNO-Z, but is also based on the constantly growing portfolio of opportunities for the students, and successful networking with external partners.” The cities Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd, the local region, the IHK and many regional companies support the work for young entrepreneurs at Aalen University.

Karl Lamprecht, head of Carl Zeiss AG and head of the University Council, emphasizes: “The innovation power that comes from start-ups is enormous and leads to important and necessary economic developments in the region and beyond.”

Aalen University hopes to continue expanding its efforts in promoting start-ups for the future. For example, a student-led company consultation group, SpinnovationNet and an Innovation Club were created, which will help contribute to the networking between the university, start-ups, and the industry.

Further Information

The start-up radar is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and conducted through the Stifterverband in cooperation with the Marga and Kurt Möllgaard-foundation. The study gathers data for the accomplishments in promoting start-ups of all public and private universities. With the help of a ranking system, this study presents how developed the university’s start-up culture is.