"Science & Startups for the Future": Berlin invests 5 million euros

The Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Industry and the European Social Fund are investing more than five million euros in the "Science & Startups for Future" project as part of the Berlin Startup Stipend Program. Over the next two years, the project will support startups that contribute to a sustainable and liveable future with innovative, science- and technology-based solutions from research. The funding will enable Science & Startups to further develop Berlin's startup ecosystem and strengthen the shoulder-to-shoulder relationship between innovative research and entrepreneurial application. Since the program's inception, more than 170 startup ideas have been supported by Berlin's universities. This is now to be continued.

For the first time, university teams can apply for one of three thematic clusters (Sustainability x Society | Health x Prevention | Technologies x Resources). The thematic focus allows for new synergy effects and strengthens the qualitative support of the fellows. The thematic bundling focuses the exchange and cooperation with industry; industry-specific experts share their know-how and the teams benefit more from the experiences of others through the local clusters.

Prof. Dr. Geraldine Rauch, President of the Technische Universität Berlin:

"We are very excited about this investment in the future. For our Science & Startups Alliance, the project is an important building block to further strengthen the joint portfolio of support formats for spin-offs from science of the Berlin University Alliance partners".

Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal, President of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin:

"Innovations are Berlin's raw material! Berlin's universities make them available to society and the economy through spin-offs. Start-ups can make a very agile contribution to solving societal challenges. I am pleased that Science & Startups provides us with a strong instrument for supporting start-ups.

Prof. Dr. Günter M. Ziegler, President of Freie Universität Berlin:

"Science & Startups for Future demonstrates the strength of the Berlin University Alliance. In the sense of a shared resource approach, the founders receive the best support structures for their start-up ideas across all universities, without institutional barriers. This creates all the prerequisites for the teams to optimally implement their start-up projects and to found out of science".

Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer, Chairman of the Board, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin:

"'Science & Startups for Future' contributes to the creation of a common innovation and startup space from a common research space. The focus on thematic clusters, such as 'Healthcare x Prevention', helps us to build even more target-group-oriented networks for the best possible start-up support.The Program

The Berlin Startup Grant supports teams for a period of up to twelve months. The goal is to further develop a prototype or a process similar to a prototype that has already been developed and to realize the planned market entry. The founders receive 2,200 euros per month and team member. Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been supporting science-based startup projects since 2005; since 2016, these activities have been coordinated jointly and since 2021 under the umbrella of Science & Startups.

About Science & Startups

Science & Startups is the association of the startup services of the Berlin University Alliance - Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. By combining the resources of the three major Berlin universities and the Charité, Science & Startups creates a unique, internationally visible university startup ecosystem.

About the Berlin University Alliance

The Berlin University Alliance is the alliance of the three Berlin universities Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin for the joint shaping of science in Berlin. The four partners have joined forces to further develop Berlin as a science location into a joint research area that ranks among the international leaders. The focus of the collaboration is on joint research on major societal challenges, strengthening the exchange with society, promoting young researchers, questions of the quality and value of research, and overarching projects in research infrastructure, teaching, diversity, equal opportunity, and internationalization. The Berlin University Alliance is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the State of Berlin within the framework of the federal and state strategy for excellence.

A network of business and science

In the Berlin Brandenburg Airport Region, business and science meet. Here, companies find a first-class research base of universities and institutes and an environment in which scientific institutions and technology-oriented companies work hand in hand. These are the best conditions for turning innovative ideas into marketable products.

For more information on the economic development of the region's growth sectors, business and technology support for companies, investors and scientific institutions, please contact

Melanie Gartzke I melanie.gartzke(at)airport-region.de

Joint Press Release of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin "Berlin Invests 5 Million Euros in "Science & Startups for the Future", June 15, 2023