Final start-up ideas - BTU students present ideas in Italy

July is the month of innovation for the EUNICE Alliance. Two start-up events will take place in July 2023 at the Italian partner university Catania.

EUNICE Imagine Innovation Cup

It all began with the FÜS module "Durchstarten - Schlüsselqualifikation für deine Idee" (Getting started - key qualification for your idea) in November 2022 at the BTU. The face-to-face workshop was organized in cooperation with the CreativeOpenLab (COLab) at the STARTBLOCK B2 business center and offered as a module as part of the interdisciplinary degree program. In terms of content, the module combined theoretical with practical learning and sensitized the participants to the topic of start-ups. The goal of the workshop was to develop a sustainable idea within one week.

The students, who were willing to found a company, learned what is needed for a start-up - from product conception to marketing. With the diverse knowledge, ten teams conceptualized a sustainable product idea. At the end of the intensive program, the prototypes were presented to a qualified jury. The BTU winning team "Modeck", consisting of Max Auras, Mattis Kramp, Johanna Stepanek, Bjoern Weber and Thomas Tuturea, developed the modular pot lid "Multideck", which fits any pot or pan. The team was able to convince the jury with the innovative product, which is equipped with various attachments that, for example, facilitate stirring or monitor the cooking time.

On July 18, 2023, the group will fly to Catania and compete in the final against the finalists from the other EUNICE universities. Interested parties can follow the students' experiences in Italy on the BTU Instagram channel (@btucs).

BTU Instagram channel: @btucs
EUNICE Instagram channel: @eunice_uni_

EUNICE Contamination Lab

Students of the EUNICE Alliance who were willing to start a business were able to register for the online seminar "EUNICE Contamination Lab". The module consisted of ten workshops held online between March 10 and May 26, 2023, which provided participants with knowledge ranging from idea generation, business plan and soft skills to preparation for the elevator pitch. In interdisciplinary and multicultural teams, the students were able to develop their own idea and gain a lot of practical experience in turning it into a viable project.

As the name suggests, the students were to "infect" themselves with a start-up idea and work it out together. On their way, the students were professionally accompanied by mentors from within the university as well as by external companies. At the BTU, the format was supported by Prof. Dr. Magdalena Mißler-Behr, Dr. Viktor Zakar, Cheng-Wen Jaw, Julia Braun, Daria Morcinczyk-Meier and Kirill Sarachuk from the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Planning, Innovation and Founding. The conclusion of the online course was the official presentation of the ideas to the jury on May 26, 2023. The winning teams will have the opportunity to attend a one-week summer school during July 10-14 at the University of Catania. Among them are also three students from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, who rate the concept well: "I can really recommend the course, because you can learn from all the professors and students from other universities," sums up participant Tatiana Kholiavko.

Congratulations to all finalists and have a successful time at the University of Catania!

More information about EUNICE: https://eunice-university.eu/

Background on EUNICE:

EUNICE (European University for Customised Education), these are seven universities from different European countries with a common DNA: all universities are medium-sized and strongly anchored locally, they are in a process of structural change and students are the focus of interest everywhere. Customised course offerings are created for these very students in order to prepare them in the best possible way for the European job market. The alliance is supported by seven universities: the Poznań University of Technology (Poland), the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany), the University of Cantabria (Spain), the University of Mons (Belgium), the University of Catania (Italy), the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (France), the University of Vaasa (Finland). Three new partners will soon be welcomed: the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal), the University of Peloponnese (Greece) and the University of Karlstad (Sweden).