The first day of the two-day “Start for Future Summit” organised by the Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences (HM), the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) and the International Start for Future Alliance (SFF) focused on the question of how Europe can become a leading player in the global innovation scene. With the New European Innovation Agenda first presented in July 2022, the EU will strengthen its central role in shaping the green and digital transformation, positioning itself at the forefront of a new wave of deep-tech innovations and start-ups.
Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Education, Culture and Youth, said: "The Innovation Agenda aims to make Europe the leading player in the global innovation landscape. The Start for Future Initiative will thus be able to provide optimal support for implementation, because it promotes both deep tech innovation and connects innovative regions."
The summit focused on the future of innovation ecosystems, start-ups and co-creation. Universities, industry partners, innovators, investors, political decision-makers and leading start-ups from Germany and all over Europe met to discuss the urgent challenges of our time and identify ways to address them. The second day of the summit offered insights into applied co-creation, where start-ups and companies collaborate to meet innovation challenges.
Maria Tsavachidis, CEO of EIT Urban Mobility, says: “We are at an important turning point in urban mobility. We have to think of the world of the future and become even more sustainable if we are going to remain viable. Networking will play a decisive role in driving joint action as will getting future generations of students and talents on board.”
Prof. Dr. Thomas Stumpp, Vice President of Economics at HM, was pleased with the successful event: "As host, we are very happy with the success of the summit, which has provided important inspiration for further innovation and transfer to the regional economy as well as to the entire European ecosystem. This demonstrates just how well universities can work together in an application-oriented manner across sectors by facilitating discussions that address highly relevant issues.”
Prof. Dr. Klaus Sailer, CEO of the SCE, adds: “As a supraregional innovation network, the Start for Future Alliance combines regional ecosystems such as Athens, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Ghent, Munich, Toronto and Vienna with European networks such as EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Manufacturing, the EIT HEI Initiative and other partners. As a co-initiator of the alliance, we are particularly happy to see how well the cooperation within the SFF network is progressing and how fast the alliance continues to grow. With the new SCE legal structure, we will be creating a new cooperative basis for our collaboration."
Start For Future (SFF) is a fast-growing European alliance of entrepreneurial universities, university-orientated incubators, international companies and public organisations. SFF acts as an open, cross-location entrepreneurship hub that drives systemic innovation within and among ecosystems. To this end, SFF brings together talents and start-ups in their early phases with the resources and a broad network of industry partners. With impact-orientated, profitable and scalable business models, the partners are working together to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
All universities, start-ups, innovators, organisations and companies are invited to join the Start for Future Alliance to promote sustainable innovation through co-creation. More information: https://startforfuture.eu
Wrap up Video of Day 1 of the Start for Future Summit from Nov. 23rd.2022.
Live Recording Video of Day 1 of the Start for Future Summit from Nov. 23rd.2022.
