Turbo for Knowledge-Based Spin-Offs – Green Light for Berlin Brandenburg Startup Factory UNITE

Press Release – Ministry for Science, Research, and Culture of the State of Brandenburg | Success for Berlin and Brandenburg: The conceptual proposal for the Startup Factory UNITE passed the first round of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy’s EXIST Lighthouse Competition for Excellence Funding last night and can now expect funding for the concept development. Brandenburg’s Minister for Science, Manja Schüle, and Minister for Economic Affairs, Jörg Steinbach, who supported the application, describe the success as a “turbo for knowledge-based spin-offs.”

Minister for Science Dr. Manja Schüle:

“Research and science make a central contribution to the development of our country: knowledge-based startups bring innovations to the economy, contribute to economic development, and create highly qualified jobs – precisely what Brandenburg, the capital region, and Germany need. We want to significantly expand and accelerate this with the Startup Factory UNITE. We are not starting from scratch: in recent years, numerous exciting and successful new companies have emerged from our universities in Brandenburg, developing solutions for current problems. This is exemplified by the startup voize, developed at the University of Potsdam, with its innovative AI-driven app for the healthcare sector, as well as the company PFABO, developed at the TH Wildau, with its novel reusable deposit system for retail. The development of a new digital center for startups is the right response in times of multiple crises: we are shaping the future. In Brandenburg, naturally. Now also together with Berlin.”

Minister for Economic Affairs Jörg Steinbach:

“Startups from the scientific community have enormous potential to bring innovative technologies and products to market. The states of Brandenburg and Berlin aim to leverage the potential of the cross-regional research and scientific infrastructure with the joint project Startup Factory UNITE. The partnership’s goal among science, industry, and society is to create an internationally leading innovation and startup ecosystem. To support and highlight spin-offs, a focus could be placed on particularly promising future fields such as energy, digitization, and the circular economy. UNITE offers an opportunity to implement the cross-regional approach in startup promotion and to strengthen existing funding structures with private resources.”

Awarding of the 15 Lighthouse Projects for the EXIST Startup Factories during the EXIST Congress 2024 by Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Vice Chancellor. © Standortmanagement Golm GmbH

The states of Berlin and Brandenburg aim to establish a cross-regional startup ecosystem with the joint initiative Startup Factory UNITE. The goal of the partners from academia, industry, and society is to create an internationally leading innovation and startup center for the capital region. The project is being implemented by a consortium that currently includes 18 Berlin-based and 15 Brandenburg-based universities and research institutions. Numerous companies have also signaled their support.

On the Brandenburg side, all eight state universities, the two Helmholtz centers (German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Zeuthen), two Fraunhofer institutes (Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) and Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch for Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB)), the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), and the MediaTech Hub Potsdam are involved. The Potsdam Science Park coordinates the participating Brandenburg institutions.

The conceptual phase begins on July 1, 2024. By February 28, 2025, the project application and proof of necessary private funding must be submitted. The federal government will provide up to €150,000 for this phase. If the application is successful, the federal government will provide up to €10 million for five years, with an additional €10 million to be raised privately.

Through the lighthouse competition Startup Factories, the federal government aims to significantly increase the number and quality of knowledge-based spin-offs. This includes establishing startup factories that are regionally and internationally visible lighthouses, which:

are strongly connected to universities with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and non-university research institutions with high innovation and talent potential,
contribute to strengthening universities and research institutions in the transfer sector through the establishment of public-private partnerships,
are entrepreneurially organized and establish sustainable business models,
found a high number of high-growth startups.

From approximately 30 applications, 15 projects were selected yesterday to develop their projects from concepts by the end of February 2025. From these, five to ten projects will be selected to implement their projects under multi-year funding starting from June 2025.

This press release as originally published in German.

Press Contact

Ministry for Science, Research, and Culture of the State of Brandenburg
Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur des Landes Brandenburg
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit | Press & Public Relations
Dortustraße 36 | 14467 Potsdam
Telefon: 0331 – 866 4560
presse@mwfk.brandenburg.de

Further Information

Leuchtturmwettbewerb Startup Factories – in German