As part of her work at the European level, EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel promotes the integration of research and business and advocates excellence programs and partnership networks between European universities. Their commitment focuses in particular on the future of the European research landscape. The overlap between their work and the guiding principle of the “Stage Two” competition, which has the motto “For Our Beyond”, is correspondingly large.

“For us, the recognition by the European Union is an important sign of great charisma for the commitment of university start-ups. We are pleased that our efforts to network and promote innovation in the European research landscape have been recognized, ”says Professor Malte Brettel, Vice-Rector for Economy and Industry at RWTH and co-initiator of“ Stage Two ”.

“Stage Two” was not only able to win new partners at the political level. With Microsoft and McKinsey, two new top companies are strengthening the competition’s portfolio. The technological competence of Microsoft and the industry-specific know-how of the management consultancy McKinsey increase the attractiveness for the participants and open up new potential for the integration of research and business. It is precisely these synergies that “Stage Two” wants to promote as a platform and thereby advance the further development of startups.

The winners of the first round, chosen during the Demo Day at RWTH Aachen University, also benefit from this. “Riiico” , a startup for AI and 3D scans, and “Nerit’e”, a startup for digital soil analysis, convinced the jury with their concepts. You will face the European competition at the final on October 29th in Berlin.

RWTH innovation

The RWTH innovation is a unique amalgamation within the German university landscape of the transfer company RWTH Innovation GmbH and the Entrepreneurship Center of the Chair of Economics for Engineers and Natural Scientists at RWTH. RWTH Innovation’s task is to advise and support students and researchers in turning their research into viable business ideas. The Entrepreneurship Center of RWTH Innovation mobilizes future entrepreneurs in a targeted manner, trains them and supports them on their way to successful business start-ups. The RWTH Innovation offer is aimed at regional, national and international startup teams. In 2020 alone, 75 spin-offs from the university were supported. RWTH Innovation aims to