The start-up network Mittelhessen StartMiUp is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the Exist-Potentiale measure over a four-year project phase. A total of three million euros has been applied for.

Under the leadership of the Philipps University of Marburg (UMR), the three universities on the research campus, the UMR, the Justus Liebig University Gießen and the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen , have created a concept. Their common goal: The number of start-ups should increase. Prof. Dr. Katharina Krause, President of the UMR, emphasizes that “through the cooperation of the three central Hesse universities in supporting start-ups as well as through networking with business partners and a wide range of start-up activities in the region, economies of scale and scope can be generated that are otherwise only available in metropolitan regions”.

220 universities from all over Germany have applied for funding. After the applications had been assessed by expert juries, the decisions were announced in Berlin.

“Based on the previous activities of the three universities, the funding from the BMWi is valuable support in order to sustainably anchor the numerous start-up activities in the Central Hesse region,” said JLU President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee.

THM President Prof. Dr. Matthias Willems emphasizes that his university conducts teaching and research with an application focus and in many regional collaborations. He expects the federal government's support of the Central Hesse startup initiative to provide a boost that will contribute to the increased transfer of marketable development results and product ideas from the campus to the economy.

At StartMiUp we work with Prof. Dr. Michael Stephan (UMR), Prof. Dr. Monika Schuhmacher (JLU) and Dr. Christina Zinecker ( THM ) brought together proven experts in technology, innovation and start-up management.