The Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and the European Social Fund (ESF) are funding the project "Science & Startups – Sustainable City" in the framework of the Berliner Startup Stipendium program. From January 2022 to June 2023, this will support startups that contribute to sustainable city development by implementing innovative technological solutions derived from research. Science & Startups is the alliance of Startup Services of the partner institutions of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Senator for Economics Ramona Pop: "The support of startups and new businesses is of particular importance in the Covid-19 period. Only with trust and financial support can the countless great ideas be converted into marketable products. The extension of the ESF-funded Berliner Startup Stipendium scholarship is therefore a logical step, as this is a successful and proven funding program for the innovative ideas of those willing to establish a business."

Since 2016, the three major Berlin universities and Charité have jointly awarded the Berliner Startup Stipendium scholarship and have already supported over 120 innovative startup projects with almost 450 scholarship holders. The project "Science & Startups – Sustainable City" further expands the structures of the unique ecosystem for science-based startups created in recent years. A thematically focused program is under development to meet the unique requirements of a sustainable city, as well as to create jobs in the Berlin business hub. Research on the city of tomorrow is being conducted at the participating scientific institutions in a wide range of areas, including the circular economy, clean and new energy, physical and mental health, quality of life of city dwellers, sustainable infrastructure or new forms of work and education.

"Research is the basis for real change in terms of sustainable development. The top-level research of Berlin's universities offers enormous potential for innovation and concrete solutions that can be put into practice with the instrument of the Berliner Startup Stipendium scholarship and generate added value for society and the environment," says Prof. Dr. Martin Kriegel, head of the Department of Energy, Comfort & Health in Buildings (Hermann Rietschel Institute) at Technische Universität Berlin, who is involved as a scientific mentor for startups as part of the Berliner Startup Stipendium scholarship.

The Berliner Startup Stipendium scholarship funds teams with research-based startup ideas for sustainable city development over a period of six to twelve months. The aim is to further develop a prototype or a prototype-like process that has already been conceptualized and to implement the planned market launch. In return, the founders receive 2,000 euro per month per team member.

"Our teams receive individual and intensive support from experienced experts at the individual university start-up centers. On site, they receive, among other things, advice, coaching, qualification, and the opportunity to use offices and laboratories. The Science & Startups Alliance additionally supports startups, for example, through networking formats with established companies or access to research results. This allows the teams to prepare themselves even more successfully for market entry," says Christina Lüdtke, head of the Science & Startups administrative office. "The Science & Startups partner institutions represent the main part of Berlin's research landscape and can thus efficiently develop and offer joint services for startups."

Science & Startups

Science & Startups is the alliance of startup centers of the partner institutions of the Berlin University Alliance – the major Berlin universities Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Science & Startups supports science-based startups and promotes the creative innovation of science. By bundling the resources of the four major Berlin universities, the alliance creates a unique, internationally visible university startup ecosystem with extensive services, 1,700 potential academic mentors from the member universities and almost 130,000 potential co-founders.

The Berlin University Alliance

The Berlin University Alliance is a consortium consisting of three major Berlin universities – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin – and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, established to shape research and education in Berlin. The four partners joined forces to further develop Berlin as a research hub with international drawing power. Together the partners explore major societal challenges, increase public outreach, promote the training of junior researchers, address issues of quality and standards in research, and share resources in the areas of research infrastructure, teaching, diversity, equal opportunities, and internationalization. The Berlin University Alliance is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of Berlin under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder.

Joint press release from Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin along with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Press contact
Hans-Christoph Keller, acting press spokesperson for the Berlin University Alliance and press spokesperson for Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Email: medien@berlin-university-alliance.de