School:Hamburg University of Technology

Main Building, Hamburg University of Technology

Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship

Even though Hamburg University of Technology is a technical university mostly educating future engineers, it also offers degrees focused on management sciences. These are exclusively master programs. Half of them are aiming at shaping industrial engineers (M.Sc. International Management and Engineering, M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering & Management, M.Sc. International Production Management). The remaining programs focus on Innovation & Technology Management (M.Sc. Global Innovation Management, (Part-Time) MBA Technology Management). Only one program is specifically tailored to develop entrepreneurial skills and attitude (M.Sc. Global Technology and Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship (GTIME)). There is also the possibility for students to do cooperative degree programs (dual@TUHH).

In different modules of several studies (post- and undergraduate) the topic of I&E is promoted. This happens through the eyes of strategic management as well as in any engineering courses which includes cutting edge technology. Moreover there are courses which focus exclusively on the topics I&E and encourage a hands on mentality where students are motivated to develop their own innovative ideas and show them how this idea could become reality. The modules related to I&E are mostly taught by the three institutes: the Institute of Entrepreneurship, the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management and the Institute of Innovation Marketing. These institutes also center the I&E research efforts in addition to the Center for Frugal Innovation.

An important anchor point to name is the Start Up Dock empowered by the TUHH were students can get inspired through events and talks. Also, it provides specific courses aimed at shaping the skills and mindset of nascent entrepreneurs, pitch events and consulting services for founders during their start-up process. Tutech Innovation GmbH is an institution TUHH is closely cooperating with and offers services similar to the ones of Startup Dock. These two facilities are located next to each other and accommodate most of the educational offerings of the Institute of Entrepreneurship. All three together form the Center for Entrepreneurship at TUHH. A new innovation facility which further promotes the establishment of a vivid start-up scene in the vicinity of TUHH is currently being built (Hamburg Innovation Port).

Further support is given through the FabLab@TUHH. A place of joint creative work, which is intended to unite many interest groups around the TUHH to support creativity in new technologies of digital product development and generative manufacturing. Various workshops by University associations as e.g. the career center allow students to prepare themself professionally and also to use professional facilities to prototype and bring their ideas to life.

Inspired students can also take part in various extracurricular clubs to work together in Teams on innovative ideas. Especially known is our award receiving working group e-gnition which develops an electric race car. Groups are also working on projects like small robots which play soccer (HULKs - RobotING), fully automated cocktail machines (Advanced Cocktail Engineering) and many more.

Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship

The faculty at TU Hamburg is encouraged through multiple collaborations with innovative companies in Hamburg. One way this unfolds is that a lot of PhD Students write their thesis with a company to have a direct impact in the economy and the university lectures will then be enriched by the research.

Furthermore, faculty members can work on projects at the Start Up Dock and possibly create their own start-ups. Also, they are welcome to further educate themselves on I&E related topics in the workshops provided by the Startup Dock, Tutech Innovation GmbH and Northern Institute of Technology Management (NiT). However, it is rather unlikely that a lot of faculty members attend courses at NiT, since these are focused at upskilling employees of established companies.

Some collaborations are also with research facilities as well, may that often be fundamental research. These include the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This might not create a start up at first, but it opens the university to a greater spectrum of technical possibilities that will spark conversations and collaboration at the university itself. Thereby research efforts are primarily focused on the objectives pursued by the following research centers:

• Research Center for Integrated Biotechnology and Process Engineering
• Research Center for Climate Protecting Energy- and Environmental Engineering
• Research Center for Regeneration, Implants, Medical Technology
• Research Center for Medical Technology
• Research Center for Maritime Systems
• Research Center for Aeronautics
• Research Center for Product-Oriented Materials Development
• Research Center for Logistics and Mobility for Sustainable Value Creation
• Research Center for Digital Production, Logistics, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
• Collaborative Research Center Tailor-Made Multi-Scale Materials Systems

Furthermore, the I³ Program is fostering the collaboration between different scientific fields. Interdisciplinary oriented projects including scientists of TU get funded. 

Actively supporting the university technology transfer function

Students that have established a concept now find help in extra consultancy. These consultants help the new becoming entrepreneurs to develop a solid business model. An incentive is that the government of Germany offers a start-up scholarship for those students with the most promising concept. Moreover at the Technical University of Hamburg Professors every department are open for question and help regarding to entrepreneurial projects.  

Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration

Through shared ownership of companies the university ensures that projects that started in the university can be translated in the private sector of Hamburg (One example is the TuTech GmbH with the start-up dock).  Moreover companies are always engaging in projects which offers students a possibility to work on real-life challenges. One example is the project LOMIS in which an institute was working with Lufthansa Technik AG. The project delivered insights for Design Thinking in Open Innovation projects. 

Engaging with regional and local economic development efforts

One example of a local collaboration is the Center of Applied Aeronautical Research (ZAL) in which the TU collaborates with Lufthansa Technik, Airbus and other partners. In this their is research conduct in different topics like: Drones, 3D-Printing and aircraft cabin systems that are designed in virtual reality. In addition there are several projects which are conducted with different local partners like DESY, who are focusing on research in fundamental physics. Further partners are the Fraunhofer Society and German Aerospace Centre DLR. Some institutes of TU have key roles concerning the innovation park of Harburg.

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Related links

▼ Hamburg University of Technology

► Hamburg University of Technology (2013 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2013 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2014 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2014 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2015 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2015 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2016 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2016 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2017 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2017 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2018 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2018 Spring cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2019 Fall cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2020 cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2021 cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2022 cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2023 cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2024 cohort)

► Hamburg University of Technology (2025 cohort)

  School:Hamburg University of Technology

  Priorities:Hamburg University of Technology Faculty Projects

  Priorities:Hamburg University of Technology Student Priorities

  Faculty Champion:Luise Degen

  Faculty Champion:Malte Krohn

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