Start-up Week 2023
Written by Claudia de Kruijf on .
As in previous years, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences took part in Start-up Week Germany, which took place from 13 to 17 November 2023. Around 100 participants, including students, members of the public and HSRW staff, took part in seven events during Germany’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurship and the start-up spirit.
The StartGlocal project team from the Centre for Research, Innovation and Transfer (ZFIT), in collaboration with professors and academic staff, once again organised a varied programme this year as part of the nationwide Start-up Week. Coaches, speakers and graduates enriched the events.
In the workshops, questions relating to the topics of founding, self-employment and start-ups, such as "What steps are needed to found a company?" and "What potential does digital marketing have for start-ups?" were explored.
The iCONDU SDG simulation game Sustain 2030, moderated by Carina Heyer, focussed on dealing with the complexity of sustainability. In this simulation game, participants spent an afternoon playing through the direct impact of business decisions on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various scenarios. It became clear that sustainable transformation requires a holistic approach and teamwork as well as new, creative ideas.
Students on the International Business Administration programme at the Faculty of Communication and Environment put their creativity to the test: their business ideas were presented on posters and then evaluated and awarded prizes by a jury.
What career path do I want to take? What qualifications do I have? Am I a start-up personality? These questions were answered in the workshop on self-discovery and future planning, which was a particular highlight of the start-up week. The participants learnt to understand their skills, strengths and personality and were thus able to define their individual path to achieving their career goals.
Students interested in setting up a business had the opportunity to clarify their in-depth questions on all topics relating to taxes and business registration with Holger Schnapka, the start-up consultant from the Starter Centre NRW of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Niederrhein.
As part of the Start-up Week Niederrhein, the StartGlocal team has once again organised a varied and interesting start-up week. After the "Make an Impact Day" in September 2023 and the ZukunftsLab Niederrhein in October 2023, the innovation potential of the university and the region is once again evident, and we want to develop it further.