The ‘MöglichMacher - Bayerischer Hochschulpreis Entrepreneurship’ was awarded for the second time at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. With this prize, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the vbw - Bavarian Business Association recognise outstanding achievements in promoting entrepreneurship and start-ups at Bavarian universities. Cash prizes totalling 65,000 euros were awarded.
Among the award winners is the Start-up Centre of OTH Regensburg, which received the second prize of the Universities of Applied Sciences/Technical Universities, endowed with 10,000 euros. In his laudatory speech, Prof. Nils Högsdal (Stuttgart Media University) said: ‘The Start-up Center at OTH Regensburg, headed by Prof. Dr Sean Patrick Saßmannshausen, impresses with a holistic approach that comprehensively accompanies the entire entrepreneurial journey from idea generation to successful implementation. With an excellent infrastructure, including a modern makerspace and an interdisciplinary approach, students and start-up teams are supported throughout the entire process and optimally prepared for the reality of starting a business through targeted qualification programmes, such as the Master's in Digital Entrepreneurship.’
Excellent start-up conditions at OTH Regensburg
Within ten years, OTH Regensburg has succeeded in transforming itself into an entrepreneurial university. Entrepreneurship and start-up activities have become a central, profile-forming, strategic component for the university. While start-ups were almost ridiculed at the beginning, entrepreneurship is now firmly anchored in the university development plan and the university contract. Students come to OTH Regensburg from all over Germany because of the excellent start-up conditions.
The jury acknowledged the exceptional commitment of Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen and emphasised the combination of qualification and further support offered by the centre. By integrating regional and international networks, bridges are built that open up sustainable growth opportunities for the teams and strengthen the location. The award is both recognition and an incentive to continue this innovative work and to further establish entrepreneurship as a valuable part of the university landscape.
The entrepreneurship measures have a wide reach among the faculty, staff and students. Over 200 students choose the voluntary entrepreneurship courses every year. Around 60 start-up teams per semester take advantage of the start-up support services - i.e. counselling, coaching and funding applications. Every year, this results in several EXIST grants, FLÜGGE funding and sometimes EXIST research transfer projects. The Makerspace, the OTH Start-up Lab, is approaching its 1,000th user a year and a half after opening.
The MöglichMacher Prize 2024
This year, 31 applications from all over Bavaria were submitted for the MöglichMacher award. A five-member jury consisting of representatives from science, business and the start-up scene selected people and projects that particularly promote entrepreneurship and start-up culture at their universities. This year, the jury decided to divide the prize for the art and music universities equally between two applicants.
‘Champions who make the difference: The winners of our Bavarian University Award for Entrepreneurship mentor, inspire and inspire,’ said Bavaria's Minister of Science Markus Blume, MdL. ‘The ‘MöglichMacher’ offer free legal advice for company founders, organise innovation festivals or create entire ecosystems for the start-up scene at their university. This is entirely in the spirit of our 100 million euro initiative Hightech Transfer Bayern! For the second edition, we have given ‘MöglichMacher’ a financial upgrade: We have significantly increased our funding once again to a total of 130,000 euros and are awarding the prize to all types of university for the first time this year - our highly innovative technical university in Ingolstadt is exactly the right place for it. Many thanks also to the vbw for its generous financial support. I would like to warmly congratulate all those who made it possible and wish them every success!’.
The prize winners:
- 1st prize universities: Startup Law Clinic (University of Passau)
- 2nd prize Universities: Digital Tech Fellows Programme (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
- 1st prize Universities of Applied Sciences/Technical Universities: IMPACT Festival (Coburg University of Applied Sciences)
- 2nd prize Universities of Applied Sciences/Technical Universities (€10,000): OTH Start-up Centre (OTH Regensburg)
- Prize Art and Music Universities: Rembrandt as an entrepreneur (Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg) & Wavelab (Munich University of Music and Theatre)
Deputy vbw Managing Director Dr Christof Prechtl emphasises: ‘We need young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit to ensure the competitiveness and future viability of our business location. Bavarian universities and teaching staff play a key role in promoting and teaching the skills needed to start a business. The Bavarian University Entrepreneurship Award honours universities that place entrepreneurial thinking at the centre of their teaching and thus create the basis for Bavaria to remain economically successful. That is why we are very happy to support the prize as a sponsor.’
The MöglichMacher 2024 was organised by HOCHSPRUNG - the entrepreneurship network of Bavarian universities, BayZiel - Bavarian Centre for Innovative Teaching and ProfiLehrePlus - the network of higher education didactic institutions at Bavarian universities. The event was accompanied by a symposium on the topic of entrepreneurship in teaching, which took place at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences.
