More than 85 people interested in founding a company, founders, entrepreneurs and partners from the regional start-up ecosystem met on Tuesday, 14 November 2023 in the Alte Mensa in Freiberg to explore the opportunities and challenges of collaboration between industry and innovative start-ups.

In the opening panel, Mayor Sven Krüger, Kerstin Kunze from the business development department of the district of Central Saxony and Vice-Rector Prof. Dr Andreas Horsch discussed the important role of start-ups in Freiberg for the region and the advantages of Freiberg as a university town. Mayor Krüger praised the close cooperation between the various players involved in supporting start-ups in Freiberg. Building on this, Prof. Horsch emphasised the importance of spin-offs as a central element of the university's so-called third mission in the area of transfer.

The Startup Journey, i.e. the path from research project to spin-off, formed the central theme of the event. Start-up projects were presented along the various stages of development. Oliver Schmidt and Amir Mohammad from the Institute of Experimental Physics presented their status in the early-stage validation project "AluBat", which deals with the cost-effective production of battery cells made of aluminium.

Marlene Baumhardt from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry presented her specific start-up plans. Together with her team, she has developed a process for the production of isocyanates using CO2 without producing highly toxic phosgene. In her pitch, she clearly explained the fields of application and the advantages of the CYNiO process.

Finally, Vincent Stepputat, alumni of TU Bergakademie Freiberg, founder and managing director of plasmotion GmbH, gave the participants an insight into a start-up in the field of plant technology that is currently in the growth phase. He emphasised the opportunity to implement his own projects and innovations with the dedicated start-up community as an opportunity.

The event concluded with a discussion with entrepreneur and start-up mentor Dr Robert Eder, Managing Director of ibt GmbH. He explained his motivation for contributing his entrepreneurial expertise to the next generation of start-ups. He also discussed the benefits of working with SAXEED and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

The participants were not only able to meet potential business partners and investors, but also gain valuable insights into the working methods and needs of the founders.

"The event was a complete success and emphasises the relevance of collaboration between established companies and the innovative start-up scene," explains Andre Uhlmann of SAXEED at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. "The enthusiasm and the dialogue between the participants show the enormous potential of the start-up ecosystem in Central Saxony."

The networking event concluded with a lively networking session and dinner, during which the participants took the opportunity to make contacts and discuss future cooperation opportunities. The lively discussions showed how the connection between established companies and up-and-coming start-ups opens up new perspectives for both sides.

For more information about upcoming events and opportunities for collaboration with innovative start-ups at TUBAF, the start-up network SAXEED is happy to help.

About SAXEED

As a central institution at the Vice-Rectorate for Research, International Affairs and Transfer, SAXEED is a key player in start-up support at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. SAXEED sensitises and motivates students, graduates and university staff to the idea of starting their own business. Through the wide range of networking and teaching events, founders are qualified and supported by experienced start-up advisors from the evaluation of the business idea to the development of the business model and the founding of their own start-up.