Innovations for the future: Mainz and Futury join forces!

Innovations for the future: Mainz and Futury join forces!

The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Futury – The Future Factory today signed a memorandum of understanding to intensify their cooperation. This collaboration is part of the FORTHEM Alliance and aims to strengthen the promotion of entrepreneurship and startups in the Rhine-Main region. Loud JGU Futury will help connect entrepreneurs and startups to support startup ideas from concept development to market launch.

The partnership aims not only to expand both partners' innovation ecosystem, but also to promote joint activities in areas such as entrepreneurship education, sustainability, digital and green transformation and innovation in Europe. The cooperation complements existing initiatives within the FORTHEM alliance, which connects universities with social actors, business and politics.

A strong network for startups

With the help of this new collaboration, Futury aims to develop a total of 1,000 startups in the Rhine-Main region by 2030. The innovation platform, which was founded in 2015, supports talents and startups in promoting their life cycle holistically - from idea development to scaling. As part of this cooperation, Futury will work with the partner universities of the FORTHEM Alliance to develop and offer specific programs and exchanges.

The FORTHEM Alliance itself currently includes nine universities, representing a total of 232,000 students and 36,000 employees in Europe. Its goal is to create a European educational area and promote exchange across borders. This happens through the mobility of students and employees, who are trained as cosmopolitan and responsible citizens.

Internationalizing Entrepreneurship – FORTHEM Startup Day

An example of efforts to promote entrepreneurial education is the upcoming FORTHEM Startup Day organized by Jyväskylä University. The event, which will take place on Thursday, March 13th, deals with the topic “Internationalizing Entrepreneurship” and is aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators. Participants have the opportunity to take part in the event both on site in Jyväskylä and online via Zoom. Interesting program items have already been announced for the free event, which is aimed at universities and the business world, including guest speakers such as Oleksiy Kovalenko from Startup Refugees and Jarkko Hautala from the Niilo Mäki Institute.

The event also allows participants to present their startups in a pitch session. Registrations for both participation and pitches are possible until March 9th, which promotes international exchange and is intended to stimulate the spirit of innovation.

The increased cooperation between JGU and Futury as well as the initiatives in the FORTHEM Alliance are creating a promising innovation network that opens up new opportunities for startups in the region and can make a significant contribution to the entrepreneurial landscape in Europe.