Completed projects

The Viadrina Founders Center of the European University Viadrina was able to promote the further development of a "start-up ecosystem on the Spree-Oder innovation axis" (#InSpO for short) between 2021-2023. The aim of the project was to strengthen business start-ups and successions in the aforementioned region, create start-up-friendly conditions on site and promote a vibrant start-up scene with innovative approaches.

As part of the #InSpO project, a scientific survey (pdf) was carried out in 2021. On the one hand, the survey was used to obtain assessments of start-up activity in the region and, on the other, to collect suggestions and ideas to help shape a start-up-friendly ecosystem in the region. The results were presented during the "Future Forum #InSpO". In barcamps, the multipliers and project partners were able to work together on new solutions for strengthening the #InSpO.

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"As an encourager, we want to work with partners to build on existing programmes and create an even more start-up-friendly environment. The aim is to strengthen entrepreneurial spirit and anchor start-ups in the region."

Dr Ramona Alt, Head of the Viadrina Founders Center at the Viadrina

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In various formats, such as Start-up Safari, Casual Friday or Innovation Camp, founders were given the opportunity to exchange expertise with experienced entrepreneurs and learn from role models and best practice examples. The "Casual Friday" networking event for founders from the region developed as part of the project was so successful that it has been continued with great success by the IHK Ostbrandenburg since the end of the project.

With the help of regional online marketing campaigns, start-ups in the region were presented and successes were publicised. For this purpose, 10 short clips and 3-minute image films were produced about the founders based in the #InSpO region (Märkisch-Oderland district, Oder-Spree district and the independent city of Frankfurt (Oder)). Among the 10 founders portrayed are 5 Viadrina spin-offs (Coworking Roman & Fritz, Kukuryku! art and culture shop, conflict counselling Status Flow, artist Lava Mouslam and her Lava Art Café, software company Conntect and her smart business card). The campaign has succeeded in portraying Oder-Spree as an innovative and cosmopolitan region with a high quality of life and economic dynamism and drawing attention to the broad portfolio and range of services offered by the founders. The 10 videos have been viewed over 3,300 times [as of February 2025] since being published on the Viadrina YouTube channel at the end of November 2023 and subsequently marketed via social media.

 

Funded by:

The Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany

The aim of the project "Discipline-independent start-ups from the university" was to further expand and strengthen the start-up activities of the European University Viadrina. On the one hand, subject-heterogeneous start-up teams should be supported, the international profile of Viadrina should be sharpened, the numerous international contacts should be used and the international student body should be specifically encouraged to form heterogeneous teams and thus inspired business ideas. The implementation period was from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

The Viadrina relied on close cooperation with qualified regional, national and international partners. Other universities in the state of Brandenburg and Berlin with a technical and technological specialisation, non-university research institutions in the state of Brandenburg and Viadrina's international university partners (particularly from Poland) were specifically included as partners.

At the same time, by networking those interested in founding a company with other regional players in the field of start-up support, a contribution was to be made to strengthening start-ups in the region. By raising awareness of the location's potential and the existing opportunities for cooperation, start-up teams were sensitised to start-ups in the region as early as the team-finding and pre-start-up phase. The aim of anchoring the start-up teams in the region helped to strengthen the structurally weak region.

Numerous formats for promoting interest in start-ups and team building were implemented as part of the project. Particularly noteworthy are the cross-border Matching Event "Boat'n'Beats" with the Technical University of Poznań, where students from both universities were able to meet suitable co-founders, as well as the supra-regional BPW Co-Founder Matching with 11 Berlin universities.

The programme was supplemented by team-building events such as the Outdoor Exit Game in Bad Saarow, the mobile Founder Wall with portraits of people interested in founding a company, as well as participation in the Corporate Campus Challenge with Campus Founders Heilbronn. Another milestone was the participation in "Makers of Tomorrow", a nationwide online course on start-up motivation under the auspices of the Federal Chancellery.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Viadrina was able to raise its profile as a start-up university, expand its supra-regional network and sensitise those interested in founding a company to the potential of the East Brandenburg region thanks to a wide range of activities.

 

 

Funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg