Anyone who studies at the Technical University of Munich , the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg or the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management in Leipzig is in a strong position: she or he will be extremely well prepared to develop a business idea and set up a company. This has been shown by the recent Gründungsradar survey by the Stifterverband (Donors’ Association) and the Heinz Nixdorf Foundation . Overall, the atmosphere for startups has improved since 2012 at many of the universities surveyed. In 2017, for example, the number of startups increased to 1,776 and the indicator for startups per student has increased by 26% since 2012. The startups concentrate primarily on fields that are relevant for the future, such as IT services, medical technology, the environment, climate and energy technology.

The universities surveyed currently get about three quarters of their funding for startups from external sources. To develop startup activities further over the coming years, they recommend safeguarding and simplifying finance from the federal and state governments; currently, universities and owners of startups have submitted applications to over 70 funding programs. “In this context, universities that are supported through the federal EXIST funding program are playing a pioneering role”, reports State Secretary Christian Hirte from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.