Excellent support for start-ups at FAU

From left to right: Bernd Sibler, state secretary at the Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts, X. Antipova and S. Dorsch (both LMU Munich), Matthias Lugert and Hannes Dohrn (FAU, Open Source Research Group), Uli W. Fricke (judge, Triangle Venture Capital Group), Julien Denis (Medical Valley) and Benjamin Bauer (FAU, Information Systems I), Claudia Micheli (HOCHSPRUNG/LMU Munich), Prof. Dr. Günter Leugering, FAU Vice President, Melanie Waltke (HOCHSPRUNG/LMU) (Image: Andreas Niessner, SHK)
From left to right: Bernd Sibler, state secretary at the Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts, X. Antipova and S. Dorsch (both LMU Munich), Matthias Lugert and Hannes Dohrn (FAU, Open Source Research Group), Uli W. Fricke (judge, Triangle Venture Capital Group), Julien Denis (Medical Valley) and Benjamin Bauer (FAU, Information Systems I), Claudia Micheli (HOCHSPRUNG/LMU Munich), Prof. Dr. Günter Leugering, FAU Vice President, Melanie Waltke (HOCHSPRUNG/LMU) (Image: Andreas Niessner, SHK)

First and second prize in the new HOCHSPRUNG Award go to FAU researchers

November 23, 2015

First and second prize for the first ever HOCHSPRUNG Award – which recognises efforts to promote the foundation of new companies at Bavarian universities – have been awarded to members of FAU, demonstrating that the University has an excellent start-up culture and promotes entrepreneurial thinking. Bernd Sibler, state secretary at the Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts, presented the prizes to the winners at a ceremony in the Orangery in Erlangen.

First prize went to the concept ‘Startupinformatik’ by Prof. Dr. Dirk Riehle, Professor of Open-Source Software at FAU’s Department of Computer Science. The initiative aims to generate a high number of sustainable spin-offs specialising in software. People considering setting up a company are given comprehensive support and advice, from the initial evaluation of their idea to the actual product and finally securing financing with the help of contacts in industry. The winning concept received prize money of 2500 euros.

Second place, which comes with 1500 euros in prize money, was awarded to the concept ‘Karohemd meets Polokragen’ by Benjamin Bauer, a research associate at FAU’s Chair of Information Systems I – Innovation and Value Creation, and Julien Denis from FAU’s Chair of Sport and Exercise Medicine. The concept is a series of events for students and research associates that aims to promote the foundation of new interdisciplinary companies.

HOCHSPRUNG, a network of consultants for start-up businesses and entrepreneurship lecturers at Bavarian universities, invited applications for its new HOCHSPRUNG Award in August this year. By providing information, a platform for discussion and opportunities for professional development, HOCHSPRUNG promotes a business start-up consultation at universities and helps them to develop a sustainable entrepreneurial atmosphere. Ten Bavarian universities took part in the competition, many of which submitted several applications.