Innovating together
Ideas that take us one step further: At Paderborn University, we work together to achieve this goal across institutional boundaries. Forward-thinking start-ups originating from our university have left a lasting mark on Ostwestfalen-Lippe (East Westphalia-Lippe) as a start-up region. Working closely with industry and other research institutions, our innovative projects facilitate the rapid transfer between theory and practice. Thus, we tackle pressing contemporary issues with united strength.
Paderborn University: a stepping stone into the world of business
Our university has one of the highest spin-off rates of any institution in North Rhine-Westphalia. Over 300 start-ups have already been founded at Paderborn University. This places us among the pioneers in Germany.
The Technology Transfer and Start-up Centre of Paderborn University (TecUP) with garage33 is our link between science and business. For several years now, we have been successfully supporting people on their way to entrepreneurship: from the search for the right business idea to financing options, and marketing.
In order to create additional space for bright ideas, the Start-up Campus OWL is currently being built in Paderborn. As an "Excellence Start-up Center NRW", it receives special funding from the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Cooperations between academia and business
![[Translate to English:] Wirtschaft](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/e/csm_UPB_Transfer_Nacht-des-Maschinenbaus_Besim_Mazhiqi_fa1d88e4aa.jpg "[Translate to English:] Wirtschaft")
The network within our university is just as strong as our network to the world: we collaborate with small and medium-sized businesses in the region as well as with large national and international companies. Thanks to Paderborn University's diverse research profile, we offer opportunities for cooperation in a variety of different areas and cover the entire chain of innovation: from fundamental research to application-oriented research projects and contract research.
Our partners also include numerous independent research institutions and other universities. Through close cooperation, we are strengthening the transfer of knowledge across national borders and disciplines.
In order to identify relevant transfer topics and critically review ideas, we involve representatives of business and society in the early stages of our projects. Together, we develop ideas until they are ready for the market and ready research results for practical use – with the same approach that we apply to implement ideas from the field and contribute to solving problems with scientific expertise.
„Made in Paderborn“: Inventions and Patents
Paderborn University is proud of the inventive potential of its scientists. The outstanding research achievements and the resulting knowledge must be sustainably protected. It is therefore our task to pair the scientific quality of research results with optimal patent protection. This allows results from research and development to be secured nationally as well as internationally, to be incorporated into business cooperations and to be marketed in cooperation with the patent marketing agency.
We provide university members with individual and comprehensive advice on their inventions and offer informative forums on the topics of inventions, patents, and commercialisation at universities.