Why cooperation is crucial now
- In the last ten years, German GDP has only grown by 4%, compared to 17% in the USA.
- US investment in AI is currently ten times higher than in Europe.
- At the same time, only 24% of German companies are planning to increase their investments - a clear signal that new approaches are urgently needed.
Start-ups bring speed, creativity and courage, while corporates bring scale, experience and market access. Together, both sides can achieve much more than would be possible alone.
Results of the study at a glance
- 90% of companies see great innovation potential in startup collaborations.
- For 72% of start-ups, partnerships are a driver of growth.
- However, only 28% of corporates have reported a strong ROI so far - and only 11% of startups have experienced a genuine willingness to cooperate.
The challenges
Many hurdles stand in the way of genuine collaboration:
- Complex processes: 59% of startups criticize long decision-making processes.
- Different cultures: start-ups want to test quickly, corporates need security and structures.
- Matching problem: 51% of companies find it difficult to find the right startups - 76% therefore rely on third parties such as networks or investors.
New ways of working together
The study shows a clear trend:
- Away from pure R&D projects, towards flexible and pragmatic models such as sales or license cooperations.
- Speed, flexibility and early value creation are becoming increasingly important.
- Even today, 61% of corporates report that new products have been launched on the market through collaborations with start-ups.
Conclusion: Shaping the future together
Germany needs more courage to innovate - and a stronger bridge between start-ups and corporates. Collaboration is not a "nice to have", but a decisive factor for the future viability of our economy.
As Verena Pausder, Chairwoman of the Startup Association, puts it:
"Innovation is not an optional extra, but a duty. Startups bring speed and courage, corporates bring scaling and market access. Together, we can tackle the major challenges."
What does this mean for us as a community?
This is exactly where the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) comes in:
As Germany's most innovative university-related start-up center, we support students, founders and companies in turning ideas into reality. With practical start-up support, education and a strong network, we create spaces in which start-ups and corporates can jointly develop innovations with impact.
Our goal: To create ecosystems that allow start-ups to grow faster and make companies fit for the future.
If you are a startup that wants to scale or a company looking for innovation partners - let's get talking. Together, we can put the findings from the report into practice and thus strengthen the German innovation ecosystem.