UNITE Sciences: Accelerating technology transfer

© Berlin Partner / eventfotografen.berlin

18.03.2025
Accelerating technology transfer: Scientific institutions found UNITE Sciences

Brain City Berlin

The Berlin-Brandenburg start-up ecosystem UNITE has been advancing one step: at the beginning of March, a total of 19 universities, colleges and non-university research institutions signed the statutes of UNITE Sciences e.V.. The non-profit association is one of three pillars of UNITE's governance structure.

Promoting entrepreneurial talent, strengthening knowledge and technology transfer and creating a dynamic innovation ecosystem for science-based start-ups in cooperation with companies in the capital region - these are the goals of UNITE Sciences e.V. The association was founded on March 4 by 19 universities, colleges and non-university research institutions from Berlin and Brandenburg. UNITE Sciences is also one of three governance pillars of the future UNITE Startup Factory. The other two cornerstones are a business association, which will connect companies and foundations with the Startup Factory in the capital region, and an ambassador association, in which experienced personalities from the innovation and startup ecosystem in Berlin and Brandenburg will be involved. All three associations will act as shareholders of UNITE gGmbH. The foundation of the gGmbH was initiated by the board of UNITE Sciences on March 4 as well.

The founding members elected Prof. Dr. Günter M. Ziegler, President of Freie Universität Berlin and spokesperson for the Berlin University Alliance, as Chairman of the Board of UNITE Sciences. He saw the founding of the association as a strong signal. “The scientific institutions in Berlin and Brandenburg are ready to translate the enormous scientific achievements of Berlin and Brandenburg into economic performance and thus make them directly tangible,” said the Brain City Ambassador. As further board members were elected: Prof. Dr. Sabine Baumann, Vice President for Research and Transfer at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Völker, Vice President for Research and Appointments at the Technische Universität Berlin, Prof. Dr. Susanne Buiter, Scientific Director at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Pfriem, Vice President for Research and Transfer at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE).

The Startup Factory UNITE is one of 15 projects selected by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) for the concept phase of the Startup Factories lighthouse competition in 2024. In the upcoming weeks, it will be decided which concepts will receive financial support from the BMWK for implementation. The prerequisite is that at least 50 percent of the financing is provided by private investors. (vdo)

Laura Möller, Director of UNITE and K.I.E.Z. – Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship Center, provides insights into the current status of the Berlin-Brandenburg consortium in a Brain City interview.

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