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“Goslar Startup Region” project
WiReGo presents an interim assessment to the district’s economic affairs committee
In September 2019, following extensive conceptual groundwork by WiReGo, the Goslar district gave the go-ahead for the “Goslar Startup Region” project. The project in turn comprises a number of subprojects which, taken together, aim to improve the conditions for starting a business in Goslar district on a lasting basis.
At the Goslar district economic affairs committee’s most recent meeting on 28 May, WiReGo Managing Director Dr. Aßmann presented an interim assessment of the project’s progress. The picture is mixed. Some project ideas have been implemented very successfully, such as the startup centre on the TU Clausthal campus. It opened in September 2022 and, after less than two years in operation, is almost fully occupied. The planned financial expansion of the existing “Goslar Region Equity Fund” funding approach was also implemented quickly. Innovative startups, as well as innovative projects in small and medium-sized businesses, can now be supported with as much as 30.000 € in equity that improves their creditworthiness. This makes a valuable contribution to overcoming the sometimes high financing hurdle posed by banks.
Other subprojects have been launched, although they still require intensive work. One example is the “Startup Academy” subproject, with its “Ready to Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship” event series. The aim is not only to impart startup knowledge to prospective founders, but also to help them develop a well-rounded entrepreneurial personality so that they are prepared for the challenges of self-employment. Another subproject has worked intensively to raise awareness of and enthusiasm for self-employment through active press and public relations work. Regular coverage of successful startups and the distribution of informative startup newsletters and social media posts have been established for this purpose. A consistent corporate design was also developed to make all these activities recognizable. Finally, the Goslar Region Startup Portal has been established at www.gruenden-region-goslar.de. This website provides comprehensive information on topics including startup activity in Goslar district, upcoming events, places to start a business, relevant contacts and funding options. The portal also includes a digital exchange platform. After registering, anyone interested in startups can use the so-called “Noticeboard” to connect with others through requests or offers. It is an ideal complement to the in-person startup networking meetup regularly organized by WiReGo, where successful startups first present themselves and participants can then talk face to face.
However, other ideas within the “Goslar Startup Region” project have not (yet) been implemented for various reasons. These include the proposal to establish a permanent professorship in entrepreneurship at TU Clausthal. Nor has it yet been possible to set up an innovation competition that would publicly recognize particularly innovative and promising business ideas. Finally, efforts to introduce school pupils in the region more extensively to “entrepreneurship and self-employment” through educational activities such as project weeks have not yet succeeded.
Accordingly, Dr. Aßmann concluded in his presentation to the economic affairs committee that, although conditions for starting a business in Goslar district have continued to improve significantly in recent years, much remains to be done to markedly increase the still comparatively weak startup activity in the area. Projects already launched need continued intensive support. Some projects not yet realized should also be reviewed again for feasibility. And finally, to increase the effectiveness of the existing, genuinely high-quality support available to startups, the underlying startup potential – and thus demand for the support services – needs to grow. Aßmann concluded: “What use are the best services if there is no demand for them or they are not used? The effectiveness of the measures implemented depends substantially on how successfully we unlock startup potential in the region. At WiReGo, we have a number of new ideas for this. We are currently examining whether they can be implemented.”
Contact at WiReGo:
Jean-Marie Aßmann, Tel. 05321/76 706
jean-marie.assmann@wirego.de
WiReGo startup networking meetup
Introducing the Goslar Region Mentoring Network
Prospective founders and young entrepreneurs met at the Clausthal-Zellerfeld startup centre on 11.06.2024 for WiReGo’s startup networking meetup. In addition to exchanging ideas with like-minded people, the programme once again featured two engaging presentations.
First, Dr.-Ing. Gero Frischkorn, Managing Director of MAC Frischkorn e.K., spoke about his path into self-employment and the challenges he had to overcome. His presentation sparked considerable interest among participants and prompted many questions afterward. The Goslar Region Mentoring Network was then introduced. It brings active, experienced mentors from the business world together with young entrepreneurs and founders across industries in a targeted way, offering longer-term, comprehensive support through the process of developing a business.
Philipp Haberkorn, a young entrepreneur from Braunlage who is currently taking part in the mentoring process, shared his experiences so far. After successfully starting his business, he had looked for coaching, ideally from someone in his industry. Having learned about the network at an earlier startup networking meetup, he applied for mentoring. Following an initial conversation with his assigned mentors, everyone immediately agreed to begin the mentoring process. Haberkorn emphasizes that he has learned a great deal through it, especially that “not everything is always as great as he thought”. Communication has always been very respectful and constructive. The mentors supporting him, who were also present, confirmed this. “I’m curious, so I questioned a lot of things,” one mentor reported. The second mentor added that, although he has no industry knowledge whatsoever in advertising and graphic design, his professional experience allows him to act effectively as a “sparring partner” in the coaching process. “The way companies are built is always the same, and the challenges are very similar too.” Participants also had many questions about this presentation.
Finally, everyone exchanged experiences together over snacks and drinks. Ms. Lorenz from WiReGo was pleased with how the evening went and looks forward to further applications to the mentoring network. Lorenz explained its purpose: “The mentoring network was founded to support founders and young entrepreneurs with practical operational questions or strategic decisions for a period of up to 12 months after they start their businesses.” The service is free. Anyone interested in coaching can find the application documents at the following link: Mentoring network – WiReGo
Contact at WiReGo:
Julia Lorenz, Tel. 05321/76 707
julia.lorenz@wirego.de
Back to the Stone Age with an innovation
Founding couple develops mineral-based, non-combustible paper
With a wink, Christian Mühl describes his business idea as a “return to the Stone Age”. The paper, which does not burn, is based on a mineral mixture. If it becomes a new standard, people could, in a sense, be writing on stone again as they did thousands of years ago – provided it is not used solely for fire protection and thermal insulation.
A graduate engineer and fire-protection expert, Christian Mühl worked in Munich for 45 years before returning to his hometown of Bad Lauterberg in the Harz. At an age when others think about retirement, he is pursuing his idea of producing non-combustible paper. From a fire-protection perspective, it would be revolutionary and could relatively easily make buildings significantly safer. The idea could also be applied to foam and other materials that are otherwise highly flammable. His wife supports him as a laboratory technician. Their eldest daughter, a potential successor, has already been let in on the company’s trade secrets.
After discussions at universities in Munich, Braunschweig and Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Christian Mühl found an inventive collaborator in Paderborn: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bremser. A development group created a prototype of the material at university level. Together with other shareholders, they intend to give the “MinPier” idea wings through Mühl Engineering Systems GmbH (MES).
Thanks to contact with Dr. Markus Reinhold, WiReGo’s technology and innovation adviser, and Samet Kibar, manager of the Clausthal-Zellerfeld startup centre (GrüZ), the Mühls have been tenants at the centre since 1 January 2023. “For us, being right next to the institutes we need is a real stroke of luck,” says an enthusiastic Christian Mühl. According to him, he occupies the nicest room in the GrüZ. Proximity to the TU Clausthal institutes and to MAC Frischkorn e.K. directly across the hall in the GrüZ creates unexpected synergies.
In Clausthal, the product developed so far only at university level is to be scaled up to a pre-industrial level. The first milestone will be to complete development of the base material and achieve predictable production by the end of the year. The University of Applied Sciences for Paper Technology in Munich has already made a prototype. Besides validating the formula, environmental compatibility is another important consideration for further development. Research has already shown that the novel “MinPier” requires around 6 times less energy for drying during production than conventional paper. Recycling brings a positive side effect too: when shredded, “MinPier” becomes garden fertilizer.
Christian Mühl feels well supported at university level. A mechanical engineering company associated with the University of Freiberg has indicated that it will build the equipment needed to produce a continuous 60cm-wide MinPier web. The next step is to find business partners who will help take on industrial production. The non-combustible “MinPier” is to be made using a special process technology. Utility model protection is in place, a patent application for its production has been filed, and the idea has great potential for success. It remains to be seen when “MinPier” will be ready for market.
Goslar Startup Region
Now also represented on social media platforms
Goslar Startup Region is now on Instagram and Facebook too. Under the motto “Starting a business in Goslar district”, we will regularly report on current startup topics, highlight events and publish engaging founder stories there.
If you want to stay up to date and gain exciting insights into startup activity in the region, follow us on Instagram at @gruendungsregion_goslar and on Facebook at “Gründungsregion Goslar”.
We look forward to talking with prospective founders and young companies in the region and will be happy to answer any questions.
Contact at WiReGo:
Katrin Breit, Tel. 05321/76 702
katrin.breit@wirego.de
Tip: Skilled-worker advice for young companies
In an extremely fast-moving time marked by constant change, companies must repeatedly find answers to new challenges. They need committed staff to remain competitive and develop with the future in mind.
Yet finding well-trained skilled workers poses major challenges for many companies across a wide range of industries, partly because of demographic change and digitalization. Federal and state governments now offer various programmes supporting personnel marketing, employer branding, recruitment, and the retention of skilled workers through further training. To help employers in Goslar district find suitable solutions for their circumstances more quickly, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Goslar Gmbh & Co. KG (WiReGo) offers companies tailored skilled-worker advice. WiReGo informs companies about different programmes that cover trainees, skilled workers and unskilled workers alike.
WiReGo provides individual advice free of charge.
Your contacts
Jean-Marie Aßmann
Telephone 05321 / 76 706
Email jean-marie.assmann@wirego.de
Bozhena Bachmann
Telephone 05321 / 76 714
Email bozhena.bachmann@wirego.de
Events for prospective founders and entrepreneurs
Startup seminars
Newkammer in Seesen (Poststraße 14, 38723 Seesen)
The event series for prospective founders and young entrepreneurs, consisting of 5 modules, will continue on 08. August 2024 after a short summer break in the .
08.08.2024, 17:00 – Module 1: Getting started with a business
15.08.2024, 17:00 – Module 2: Planning a business startup I
22.08.2024, 17:00 – Module 3: Planning a business startup II
26.08.2024, 17:00 – Module 4: Putting a business startup into practice
02.09.2024, 17:00 – Module 5: Starting a business and taxes
Workshop “Challenges of self-employment”
Goslar district (Klubgartenstraße 6, 38640 Goslar, Room 0102)
Ms. Colantoni draws on her experience as a mindfulness trainer to explain strategies for constructive “problem solving”. She offers tips on reducing frustration and improving your mood in difficult situations so that you remain able to act. She also addresses fear of failure, how to plan for setbacks or even recognize them as opportunities.
Ms. Colantoni draws on her experience as a mindfulness trainer to explain strategies for constructive “problem solving”. She offers tips on reducing frustration and improving your mood in difficult situations so that you remain able to act. She also addresses fear of failure, how to plan for setbacks or even recognize them as opportunities.
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Would you like to stay up to date with the latest developments at WiReGo? Are you looking for additional information and reports about events, services, projects and special support and advisory services in our region? Our free newsletter, the “WiReGo-Infobrief”, regularly provides you with information about business development in the Goslar district!
