A special highlight of the workshop is the visit by State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt from the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. State Secretary Gotthardt officially hands over the Ministry's funding decision for the years 2024 and 2025 to Prof. Dr. Klaus Sailer, Managing Director of SCE, Prof. Dr. Thomas Stumpp, Vice President for Economics at HM, Prof. Guy Katz from HM and co-founder of BIPA, and Gal Fadlon, BIPA Director of the Israeli program partner Tech7. The renewed funding of the program demonstrates the Ministry's continued commitment to promoting innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and intercultural exchange with Israel.
"We believe more than ever in the Israeli-Bavarian friendship. And we are convinced of the benefits of close cooperation between the two countries. Bavaria and Israel stand for innovative entrepreneurship and high-tech. If we combine our respective strengths, great things can come of it. BIPA is a very good example of this and a beacon for successful cooperation," explained State Secretary Gotthardt in his address to the participants, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between Bavaria and Israel.
During his visit, State Secretary Gotthardt spoke with the participants from Bavaria and Israel and gained an insight into their innovative projects and the diverse intercultural experiences that are exchanged as part of the program. The young talents work in multinational teams, bringing together different perspectives to jointly develop creative solutions to real-world challenges.
"BIPA clearly demonstrates how universities can both teach young people about business and fulfill their social responsibility in entrepreneurship education. I also believe that, especially in times of crisis like these, such programs can have an important positive impact - on the people involved and in a signal effect far beyond. We are particularly pleased that BIPA was awarded the Shimon Peres Prize for this in 2022," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Thomas Stumpp.
Despite the current situation in the Middle East, the BIPA program will continue, while many other Israel programs are currently on pause. Hochschule München and the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship, in cooperation with the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, are sending a strong signal for the sustainable partnership with Israel and the long-standing partner Tech7 from Beer Sheva. This ongoing cooperation illustrates the commitment to building bridges and strengthening the innovative power of both regions, even in difficult times. The intercultural exchange between Bavaria and Israel plays a central role in this, as it not only deepens mutual understanding, but also offers valuable perspectives for the development of innovative solutions.
Morten Edzards, BIPA project manager at the SCE, emphasizes: "BIPA connects participants from Bavaria and Israel who work together in multinational teams. The diversity of the students, including young people from countries such as India, Syria, Russia and Poland who are studying at Bavarian universities, enriches intercultural exchange and promotes mutual understanding. This not only generates new ideas, but also friendships that transcend cultural boundaries and create a valuable basis for future collaboration."
Following the kick-off workshop in Munich, the two-month virtual phase of the program will now begin, during which the participants will work with experienced mentors to develop tailored solutions for the entrepreneurial challenges. In December, the teams will present their final projects to the participating companies and the wider public.
About BIPA
The Bavaria Israel Partnership Accelerator has been bringing established companies, start-ups and public institutions from Bavaria together with students and young professionals from both regions since 2015. The multinational teams work closely together to develop innovative solutions for challenges in the fields of Industry 4.0, Internet of Things, Smart Mobility, MedTech, IT security and many more. So far, over 50 corporate partners and more than 300 participants have completed the program.
Contact:
Morten Edzards
Program Manager BIPA,
Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE)
E-mail: morten.edzards@sce.de
Phone: +49 89 1265 3244
