Social and International Start-up Campus University of Erfurt (EXIST)

Project Description

In 2019, Prof. Dr.Heike Grimm received around 700,000 Euros in federal grants for implementing a social and international start-up campus at the University of Erfurt. The grant is part of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology‘s (BMWi) national initiative “EXIST Potentiale”, specifically addressing the pillar “Poteniale heben” (Unlock Potential) of the “EXIST Gründungskultur” (Exist Start-up Culture) program. The successful applicants and project team of four led by Prof. Grimm submitted a convincing proposal which aims at promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of students and to further support ideas from international and interdisciplinary start-up teams.

Social entrepreneurship not only perfectly complements the University of Erfurt's teaching and research profile, but it also builds on an existing tradition of innovative startup ideas from the university students. Previously successful start-up teams from the Willy Brandt School, such as MINTy Girls, Sharing Living or the app Amigo, provided essential motivation for the idea and the development of a social and international “Gründercampus” at the University of Erfurt. These projects were recipients of the Brandt School’s Commitment Award, which has been spearheaded by the "Engagementpreis-Stiftung" with support from the Brandt School partners "Town and Country Stiftung" and the "W.P. Schmitz Stiftung" for over ten years now. Along with the "Haniel Stiftung" and the Aletta Haniel Professor for Public Policy and Entrepreneurship, the "Engagementpreis-Stiftung" is the driving force behind the establishment of entrepreneurship education and research at the University of Erfurt and the Brandt School. The intersection of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy is an especially innovative aspect of the teaching and research portfolio and is one of the unique selling points of the Brandt School’s MPP program.

University of Erfurt’s Start-Up Service (German website)