introducing entrepreneurship in the university’s …€¦ · introducing entrepreneurship in the...

Introducing entrepreneurship in the

university’s institutional strategies –

The case of RWTH Aachen

University

October 17, 2013

© 2013 Gründerzentrum der RWTH Aachen © 2013 Gründerzentrum der RWTH Aachen

RWTH Aachen is one of the leading technical universities

in Germany and across Europe

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465 professorships, 262 institutes, 16 An-institutes, 4 Fraunhofer-

institutes, 10 DFG-Graduate colleges

Promising research areas addressing the global challenges

RWTH Aachen Campus

37.900 students – ~80% in the areas of engineering and natural sciences

Excellent teaching reviews with top rankings across Europe

More than 600 businesses were fromed at the RWTH during the past 30

years -of which ~ 200 were formed between 2005 and 20091

"Exist Gründerhochschule" – government founded initative

RESEARCH

EDUCATION

ENTRE-

PRENEURSHIP

1Source: „Technologieorientierte Unternehmensgründungen in der Region Aachen“, IHK Aachen, June 2010

© 2013 Gründerzentrum der RWTH Aachen © 2013 Gründerzentrum der RWTH Aachen Seite 3

• One of the largest technology clusters in

Europe

• A total of 19 research clusters with more

than 10,000 employees planned

• Formation of up to 250 technology oriented

companies on campus

• Companies benefit from the joint research

as well as advanced education

opportunities

• Positive externalities will bring other

industries to Aachen and the region Central Institutes

Leadership position to be furthered by the development of

the RWTH Campus 2020


The approach towards entrepreneurship combines

teaching, research and practice

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Research Chair

Practice Entrepreneurship

Center

Teaching Chair

& Network

Internal & external

national & international


New findings in the entrepreneurial research stimulate teaching

methods and leads vice versa to new stimuli in the research area

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Entrepreneurship at RWTH Aachen University – creating the synergies

Research Teaching

Synergies between teaching and research

Teaching Research

Interactive project work and discussions during teaching sessions lead to new perspectives

and new topics in the research area

Research Teaching

New theories from the entrepreneurship research are applied to teaching and further

developed (e.g.effectuation in teaching and practice)


Intense cooperation between teaching and practice enhances

the entrepreneurial spirit at the RWTH and in the Aachen area

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Teaching

Synergies between teaching and practice

Teaching Practice

The teaching modules impart critical knowledge to the

practitioners in various fields of the start-up process and could

be seen as the theoretical background for the successfull

entrepreneurs

Benefits for founders: creation of product concepts

(Entrepreneurship I) or the development of business plans

(Entrepreneurship II) by student teams

Practice Teaching

Business cases and entrepreneurial challenges being

discussed in the teaching sessions are coming „live“

from the entrepreneurial practice Practice



Practical challenges of entrepreneurs stimulate the research

agenda and new findings are applied to the practice

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Synergies between research and practice

Research Practice

New findings from the entrepreneurship research are tested in

project groups (e.g. team tests) and getting further developed

within the practice

Practice Research

Practical challenges lead to increased research efforts in

specific fields (e.g. initial customer analysis or pricing)

Practice

Research



The Aachen Entrepreneurship center supports every phase of

the business start-up process via coaching, events, workshops etc.

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Technology Idea generation Idea evaluation Business model Funding Operations

ATEC* Local

Heros

I2P idea

competition Prepare!

Workshops

Network

Start-up

training BP

Workshops

BP

Competitions

Personality

test

Matching-

pool Matching

workshops

Idea

Concept

Creation

Team

Funding

Seed Pre-Seed phase

Business

Angel

(BA-Day)

Governmental

Support

Programs

Venture

Capitalists

Business

Consultant

Tax

Consultants Market

Expert

Patent

agent

Technology

Expert Lawyers



To advance entrepreneurship at the RWTH a 5-year

program has been developed

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EXIST IV is endorsed and financed by the government

University Faculties and institutes Center for

entrepreneurship Community and network

Establishment of auxiliary

conditions for setting up a

business as a student or

researcher

Mobilization of students and

researchers across all

faculties

Developing a one-stop-shop

for all services

Building, developing and

using the founder

community in the region


Those interested in entrepreneurship can choose from a

variety of events across the all phases of entrepreneurship

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Ed

ucati

on

E

xtr

a-c

urr

cic

ula

r

serv

ice o

fferi

ng

s

Co

nsu

ltin

g

Introduction to

business

Entrepreneurial

Marketing & Finance

Presentation &

negotiation

Siemens Entrepreneur Cup

TRACE

Founder roundtable/

Workshops

Aachen Technology

Entrepreneurship

Conference

Idea to Product

(international idea

competition)

Prepare!

(Workshop with

WHU)

Founder training

(1 week seminar)

3 Day Startup

Business-Angel Day

EXIST Prime Cup AC2 (business plan

competition)

EXIST-

Scholarship

Coaching

CO:Forward

(Incubator)

Erfinder-

beratung

Idea-

scouting

Matching

AixHighTIng

Financing

(fund and Investor

network1)

Entrepreneurship I &

Entrepreneurship II

Info-Pack

Starter-KIT

Workshops about

IP IP-Management

From Idea to founding Mobilizing Post-founding support

Overview offerings to (potential) entrepreneurs


A clearly designed coaching process has been developed

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Referrals

Website

Lectures

Local Network

IHK (trade and commerce

chamber)

Business Angels

...

Website Coaching

report

Screening and

assignment Coaching

Contact point

and description

of service offered

Sums up all

necessary

information

Evaluation of

coaching requi-

rements and

decision on own

vs. coaching

through partners

Start with first

call and meetings

depending on

coaching

requirements

Entrepreneurs find us by a

variety of routes… … but the standard coaching process starts on the website

© 2013 Gründerzentrum der RWTH Aachen

Exemplary entrepreneurship event: The Founder Training of

the is supported by a variety of external speakers

Partner

Lawyers Professors Recruitment agencies (Regional) enterprises and

entrepreneurs

Business Angels/ Venture

Capitalists

Founder Training

4 days training covering all topics relevant to

the foundation of a company (law, financing,

marketing, business model generation,

brainstorming, social media,...)

Twice a year, each time ~45 participants

(students, scientist, professionals)

Applications > capacity at the training

Supported by a variety of partners

Highly attractive due to low costs and strong

support by the RWTH PhD program

About 30% of the participants are

entrepreneurially active

Founders

Portrait of Founder Training


Cooperation between RWTH Aachen and WHU in

Vallendar (top business school in Germany)

Business plan development in interdisciplinary teams

of RWTH scientists and WHU business students

In addition to teamwork, presentations by experienced

practitioners and professors enrich the program

Teams are supported by one coache from the Aachen

incubator (“Gründerzentrum”) PREPARE! – The

Entrepreneurs Academy

Scientists with their own

business idea or technology

Executive MBA students with

work experience

Exemplary entrepreneurship event: Prepare! combines technical

ideas of RWTH students with Germany’s top business school students Portrait of Prepare!


Exemplary entrepreneurship event: 3-Day-Startup – In 3

days from an idea to a business model

Develop a start-up

in 3 days

• 40 creative students from all over Germany

• Establish a company in 60 hours

• Professional jury with investors

• Already twice at the RWTH, 2011 for the first time in

Shanghai and in 2012 for the first time at WHU

Vallendar

• Organized by the student organization AC.E

Portrait of 3DS


3DS produces enthusiastic students around the world and

impressive 14 new startups out of 12 events

12 3DS-events (USA and Europe)

14 Companies

USD 4 M funding

3DS – an international event 2011 for the first time “exported“

from Aachen to Shanghai

Portrait of 3DS


Meet Entrepreneurship in a relaxed atmosphere

Aachen Entrepreneurship Team e.V.

student organization Aachener Founder Round-Table

Discuss with other founders

Gründungsfieber

RWTH and FH start-ups introduce themself

Idea Recognition Night

Develop new ideas


The program shall take effect along all phases of the start-

up funnel

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Mobilization Founding Management & growth

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Ob

jec

tive

s

5,000 students and

researchers to be

reached each year

60 start-ups shall be

formed each year

20 teams shall be

coached for growth each

year

introducing entrepreneurship in the university’s …€¦ · introducing entrepreneurship in the...

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