Only a few days left: Innovative business ideas and startup projects can be submitted for the Strascheg Ideas Award through October 18, 2026. Munich University of Applied Sciences and the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship will award a total of 30,000 euros in prize money across three categories.

The Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship offers a free, one-hour online workshop to help aspiring doctoral candidates take their first steps towards finding a research topic.

How does excellent STEM research turn into a successful startup? This is exactly what the new European project “SFF Deep Teach Valleys: STEM2Venture Pathway” (SFF-DT) wants to facilitate: The project launched in September 2026 with a kickoff meeting in Athens and aims to bridge the gap between academic research and the market and to transform research findings into sustainable startups and spin-offs. The Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), as a co-founder of the Start for Future (SFF) initiative and one of nine project partners, is actively involved in the initiative. SFF connects universities, entrepreneurship centers, and other stakeholders from across Europe to promote university-based startups and drive innovation across national borders.

On October 5, 2026, Prof. Dr. Sonja Munz was formally appointed as the new president of Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM). As a professor, dean of the Faculty of Tourism, and most recently vice president for research, she knows the university from various perspectives and has helped shape its development for many years. She also has a long-standing collaboration with the SCE.

“We have had the privilege of carrying out numerous entrepreneurial projects with Dr. Munz over the past 10 years and look forward to the next wave of entrepreneurship at Munich University of Applied Sciences.”
– Prof. Dr. Klaus Sailer, Executive Director of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship

Just in time for Bits & Pretzles, the Startup Verband is releasing the German Startup Monitor 2026! We’ve summarized the key takeaways for you: Germany is experiencing a startup boom: so far in 2026, more than 3,000 startups have been founded and 8 billion euros in capital has been invested, setting two new records. Munich remains a major startup hub, but for us, what’s most exciting—besides WHERE startups are emerging—is HOW they’re being created:

On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, our SCE Friends & Fellows Community gathered once again for an exclusive networking event. A highlight of the evening was the keynote address by Pascal Bronner, an associate at ZIRNGIBL Rechtsanwälte mbB and a doctoral candidate at TUM. In his presentation titled “AI in Business—Between Innovation and Responsibility,” he provided participants with valuable insights into the latest developments in artificial intelligence. He vividly illustrated the tension between technological progress, strategic opportunities, and the legal framework in a business context.

Once again this year, SCE will be participating as an Ecosystem Partner at the beyond economy festival. On October 28, 2026, the festival will bring together companies, startups, researchers, decision-makers, and thought leaders. Under the motto “Shaping tomorrow’s economy together,” the focus—in addition to topics such as AI and innovation—will be on shaping a sustainable economy that balances profit, people, and the planet.

Felix Füssel, co-founder and co-CEO of the SCE alumni startup Silvernova, talks in an interview with Munich Startup aboutbuilding his legal tech company: an AI associate that supports small and medium-sized law firms with complex cases. Click here for the full interview, featuring many fascinating insights.

SYSTEMEU is launching its Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) Open Call, with €7.55 million in funding available for interregional innovation projects focused on the digital transformation of healthcare, energy, and mobility. The Open Call begins on September 15, 2026 , and applications will remain open until November 16, 2026; five to eight projects will be selected to develop, test, and validate innovative solutions in real-world environments across the five SYSTEMEU regions.

The call is open to independent legal entities based in one of the five SYSTEMEU regions, including companies, startups, research organizations, universities, public authorities, and other organizations from Bavaria (Germany), Northwest Romania, Castilla y León (Spain), Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Portugal’s Norte Region. Its objective is to accelerate cross-border collaboration, share knowledge and technological capabilities, and bring promising innovations closer to deployment and commercialization.

Only a few days left: Innovative business ideas and startup projects can be submitted for the Strascheg Ideas Award through October 18, 2026. Munich University of Applied Sciences and the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship will award a total of 30,000 euros in prize money across three categories.

The Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship offers a free, one-hour online workshop to help aspiring doctoral candidates take their first steps towards finding a research topic.

How does excellent STEM research turn into a successful startup? This is exactly what the new European project “SFF Deep Teach Valleys: STEM2Venture Pathway” (SFF-DT) wants to facilitate: The project launched in September 2026 with a kickoff meeting in Athens and aims to bridge the gap between academic research and the market and to transform research findings into sustainable startups and spin-offs. The Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), as a co-founder of the Start for Future (SFF) initiative and one of nine project partners, is actively involved in the initiative. SFF connects universities, entrepreneurship centers, and other stakeholders from across Europe to promote university-based startups and drive innovation across national borders.

On October 5, 2026, Prof. Dr. Sonja Munz was formally appointed as the new president of Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM). As a professor, dean of the Faculty of Tourism, and most recently vice president for research, she knows the university from various perspectives and has helped shape its development for many years. She also has a long-standing collaboration with the SCE.

“We have had the privilege of carrying out numerous entrepreneurial projects with Dr. Munz over the past 10 years and look forward to the next wave of entrepreneurship at Munich University of Applied Sciences.”
– Prof. Dr. Klaus Sailer, Executive Director of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship

Just in time for Bits & Pretzles, the Startup Verband is releasing the German Startup Monitor 2026! We’ve summarized the key takeaways for you: Germany is experiencing a startup boom: so far in 2026, more than 3,000 startups have been founded and 8 billion euros in capital has been invested, setting two new records. Munich remains a major startup hub, but for us, what’s most exciting—besides WHERE startups are emerging—is HOW they’re being created:

On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, our SCE Friends & Fellows Community gathered once again for an exclusive networking event. A highlight of the evening was the keynote address by Pascal Bronner, an associate at ZIRNGIBL Rechtsanwälte mbB and a doctoral candidate at TUM. In his presentation titled “AI in Business—Between Innovation and Responsibility,” he provided participants with valuable insights into the latest developments in artificial intelligence. He vividly illustrated the tension between technological progress, strategic opportunities, and the legal framework in a business context.

Once again this year, SCE will be participating as an Ecosystem Partner at the beyond economy festival. On October 28, 2026, the festival will bring together companies, startups, researchers, decision-makers, and thought leaders. Under the motto “Shaping tomorrow’s economy together,” the focus—in addition to topics such as AI and innovation—will be on shaping a sustainable economy that balances profit, people, and the planet.

Felix Füssel, co-founder and co-CEO of the SCE alumni startup Silvernova, talks in an interview with Munich Startup aboutbuilding his legal tech company: an AI associate that supports small and medium-sized law firms with complex cases. Click here for the full interview, featuring many fascinating insights.

SYSTEMEU is launching its Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) Open Call, with €7.55 million in funding available for interregional innovation projects focused on the digital transformation of healthcare, energy, and mobility. The Open Call begins on September 15, 2026 , and applications will remain open until November 16, 2026; five to eight projects will be selected to develop, test, and validate innovative solutions in real-world environments across the five SYSTEMEU regions.

The call is open to independent legal entities based in one of the five SYSTEMEU regions, including companies, startups, research organizations, universities, public authorities, and other organizations from Bavaria (Germany), Northwest Romania, Castilla y León (Spain), Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Portugal’s Norte Region. Its objective is to accelerate cross-border collaboration, share knowledge and technological capabilities, and bring promising innovations closer to deployment and commercialization.