The event took place on December 4, 2012, at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart; I attended on behalf of the TFU and the Association of Technology and Startup Centers in Baden-Württemberg. Read here to find out what the state is offering as part of its new startup initiative.
The afternoon event was organized by ifex, the Initiative for Business Start-ups and Business Succession, which is part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The opening remarks were delivered by Professor Peter Schäfer, the long-time director of ifex. He explained that the state of Baden-Württemberg currently ranks 14th nationwide in terms of new business start-ups. This is attributable, among other things, to the high number of manufacturing businesses and the correspondingly lower number of service providers in Baden-Württemberg. However, with a current rate of 10.4% for new business start-ups, the state is significantly ahead of the United States, which has a rate of only 7%, in an international comparison.
In his speech, he briefly touched on the five points of the startup initiative:
1. Awareness and Information
2. Qualification
3. Consultation
4. Innovation
5. Financing
Professor Schäfer then spoke himself about the first point, “Awareness and Information.” He noted that the presence and prominence of topics related to starting a business have declined significantly in the media. And this is precisely what needs to be addressed. The topic of starting a business simply needs to be made more appealing to the general public again.
Katja Gieseler from ifex spoke on the topic of “Skills Development,” in which she addressed, among other things, the issues of school and self-employment, as well as the L-Bank’s SchulBankKredit project. The project aims to encourage more and more students to start their own junior companies; however, until now, the start-up capital for these ventures has always had to be provided out of their own pockets, through their parents, or via sponsors. With the SchulBankKredit, students now have the opportunity to apply to the L-Bank for a loan to cover the startup capital during the founding phase.
The third item, “Consulting,” was moderated by Mr. Arndt Upfold of ifex. He had invited several representatives from consulting services—such as the Steinbeis Consulting Centers, RKW Baden-Württemberg, and IFB (Institute for Liberal Professions)—who briefly presented their services. He also addressed the important role of succession consultants, who likewise contribute to the growth of new businesses in the area of business succession.
Sarah Sauter discussed the innovation vouchers and the funding they provide in Section 4, “Innovation.” Special emphasis was placed on the newly introduced “B High-Tech” innovation voucher, which is designed to support start-ups in the high-tech sector. Starting in February 2013, there will also be a “C” voucher to support entrepreneurs in creative fields.
The final item on the agenda was financing, which was again discussed by Mr. Upfold and representatives from financial institutions. Among other things, they presented several models of so-called microfinance, in which microloans are issued to startups on special terms.
Afterward, at the “Infomarkt,” I was able to discuss what I had heard at length in one-on-one conversations with the moderators and representatives of the companies that had been presented, and round out the evening.
