Three questions for Nadine Joop

1. Please briefly introduce yourself and your current job.

My name is Nadine Joop. I am the personal assistant to the Prorector for Knowledge and Technology Transfer, Prof. Peter Middendorf. In the prorectorate, we take care of the strategic issues of transfer between science, industry and society and are increasingly focusing on start-ups as a transfer path. In this respect, I am closely linked to the entrepreneurship team at the University of Stuttgart.

2. How did you get involved in entrepreneurship?

I haven't founded a company myself, but in my former life I was involved in founding the Studienscheiss UG of a colleague at the time. I know, provocative name and maybe not necessarily a name I would give to my company, but as a "brand" it definitely serves its purpose. In my current position, entrepreneurship is not directly synonymous with founding a company, but starts earlier: with an attitude, a skill set that Prof. Alexander Brem and his team will not only impart through various teaching formats, but will also spread throughout the entire university. So, keep your eyes and ears open and participate - the start-up ideas will then bubble up almost by themselves. J

3. What advice would you give to students who are enthusiastic about founding a company, who are currently thinking about founding a company, or who have already taken the first steps toward self-employment?

Keep at it, network and take advantage of the offers! The Stuttgart entrepreneurship ecosystem is very diverse and there are offers for every need and every level of experience. From my point of view, it's worthwhile to network broadly here and get as much input as possible. Founding is hard work and you always come up against limits that make you despair less if you can benefit from the numerous experiences of your network.