Knowledge creates start-ups

May 15, 2023

Insights into start-up life at the Science Day.

The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science (ENI) and the new Transfer Centre used the open frei[raum] day to give interested parties an insight into how new companies are formed from innovations at the University of Stuttgart.

The highlight of the afternoon was undoubtedly the two short presentations (pitches) by young founders.

The first was Jan Stein from Cyclize. The start-up focuses on the use of plastic waste - especially material that cannot be sensibly returned to the material cycle through conventional recycling. Currently, plastic is primarily produced from fossil, carbon-based raw materials. If the material is not recycled, it contributes either to environmental pollution or to the climate crisis. At the heart of Cyclize's innovative process is a plasma reactor that generates synthesis gas from plastic waste. This gas can be converted into all conceivable hydrocarbon products - new, pure plastics can be produced from the problematic plastic waste. These plastics are not decarbonised (because they are still carbon-based), but they are defossilised because the converted carbon is recycled. Cyclize is funded by EXIST as a research transfer.

Ilya Shapiro presented hydrop systems. The start-up emerged from the institute's own programme "AWAKE - in six weeks to a start-up". As part of the programme, students initially formed a team. A common challenge was quickly found: Water as a resource that is becoming scarce. Their idea: they measure water consumption and analyse the consumption patterns with artificial intelligence. Feedback on the consumption and patterns in the associated app makes it possible to reduce personal water consumption.

Between pitches, there was tinkering, netting and drinking in the frei[raum]: stuvus has been running a coffee bar in the innovation room since May. Space Mate, also a product of a student start-up, could also be sampled.

After a stop at the Universum Makerspace, Rector Prof. Wolfram Ressel also visited frei[raum] with Maximilian Mörseburg MdB and Helmuth Warth (VDI). Prof. Alexander Brem, Institute Director of ENI, took the opportunity to present the spin-off path within the university and the embedding of the university's stakeholders (ENI, TTI and Transfercenter) in the Startup Campus 0711, as well as the networking in the ecosystem with the Gründermotor, the AI xpress from Böblingen and the City of Stuttgart.

Contact

This image shows Melanie Minderjahn

Melanie Minderjahn

 

Research Associate, PR Manager

To the top of the page