Black Forest becomes a hotspot for start-ups: New network brings a breath of fresh air!

Black Forest becomes a hotspot for start-ups: New network brings a breath of fresh air!

In a remarkable initiative, three universities have joined forces to strengthen start-up support in the Black Forest. Although the region is often not associated with start-ups, it has great untapped start-up potential that needs to be tapped. This week the NXTGN summer tour took place at the University of Freiburg, an EXIST Startup Factory funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics. Various actors came together, including politicians, representatives from science, business and start-ups, to make new contacts and exchange ideas. According to the University of Freiburg The offers of the Black Forest entrepreneurial spirit are open to everyone - be it for students without previous knowledge or experienced research teams.

The delegation visited five of the six INSPIRE BW hubs to improve collaboration in the regional innovation ecosystem. The event offered a platform for networking and made it clear that better coordination between existing offers is necessary. A variety of initiatives are intended to promote start-up dynamics in the region, which has both a high industrial density and a broad economic spectrum. The focus is on the areas of tourism, mechanical and plant engineering as well as medical technology, with Tuttlingen being considered one of the world centers.

Start-up garage and regional strengthening

In 2020, the “Gründergarage” initiative was launched to support start-up projects and make the step into self-employment easier. The Founder's Garage offers a strong network of partners from administration, business and science and imparts essential know-how and entrepreneurial thinking. The offerings include advice, coaching and assistance with financing, accompanied by experienced entrepreneurs who act as sponsors and mentors.

The infrastructure in the region is also being expanded to offer co-working and maker spaces as well as laboratories and offices in the future. Information for those interested in starting a business can be found on the Gründergarage website. These networking and infrastructure measures are crucial for strengthening the regional start-up ecosystem.

Nationwide perspectives

In the context of these regional efforts, the federal government is developing a comprehensive Start-up strategy, which is intended to improve the framework conditions for young companies. A central goal of this strategy is to make start-ups easier and to strengthen financing. Among other things, it was stipulated that in the future, founding companies should be possible completely digitally and within 24 hours.

The strategy includes measures to promote access to public contracts for start-ups and to simplify processes, especially for founders and people with a migrant background. A digitized funding portal is intended to facilitate the centralized search for financing options, and the KfW Future Fund will provide ten billion euros by 2030. These initiatives are intended to help the start-up culture in Germany continue to gain momentum.