IDEA 2025: Experience the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation live in Bochum!

IDEA 2025: Experience the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation live in Bochum!

On March 19, 2025, the Ruhr University Bochum announced the upcoming major event IDEA 2025, which will take place on May 15, 2025. The venue is the main stage in the atrium of the O-Werk, a former Opel administration building. The event is organized by WORLDFACTORY, a start-up center at the university. The event is aimed at aspiring start-ups as well as leading experts from science and business. The event starts at 10 a.m.

The event aims to promote the region and present technological solutions to current challenges. The focus is on various core activities that strengthen innovative strength and entrepreneurship in the region. These include topics such as deep tech, contemporary knowledge innovations and raising awareness of entrepreneurship.

Core activities and program highlights

The IDEA 2025 program includes a variety of activities specifically designed to promote exchange between start-ups and professionals. The highlights include informative start-up pitches, discussions about current trends and challenges, as well as the Materials Innovation Day, which offers insights into research and company success stories. Particular attention is paid to exploring the RUB Makerspace, one of the largest creative experimental centers in Germany with an area of ​​over 2,000 square meters.

One of the outstanding features of the event is the WORLDFACTORY Demo Day, where the six best founding teams from the Ruhr University will present their concepts. Participants can also expect an exciting NRW pitch battle with teams from North Rhine-Westphalia. The official part of the event closes with an awards ceremony at around 6 p.m. and allows participants to make contacts over dinner and networking.

The role of the Ruhr University Bochum in the start-up landscape

The Ruhr University Bochum occupies a prominent position in the current founding radar of the Stifterverband, which has been created since 2012 with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. With sixth place in the ranking, the university is recognized for its commitment to supporting start-ups. According to the start-up radar, a total of 2,927 start-ups were registered at German universities in 2023, which represents an increase compared to previous years. Particularly significant are the 1,184 start-ups that are linked to knowledge and technology transfer and make up over a third of the total.

In the 2025 evaluation, the start-up radar focuses on the topic of perpetuation, which aims to convert temporary funding structures into permanent and sustainable structures in order to ensure the long-term success of start-up funding at universities.

The WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center acts as a central contact point for those interested in starting a business and, in addition to individual advice, also offers workshops and networking events. Over 100 start-up projects are supported every year, with more than 25 spin-offs per year considered successful. Particular attention is paid to supporting female founders, with the proportion of women in start-up projects in the region being around 25 percent - a value that is above the national average.

The Ruhr University Bochum and its committed network are sending a strong signal for the innovative strength and entrepreneurial creativity in Germany. Numerous experts and actors from various areas will come together at IDEA 2025 to shape the future of entrepreneurship together.

For further information, interested readers can consult the comprehensive reports Founding radars or view the detailed analyzes in Startup Association track.