enableUS

Project Description 

EnableUS - Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the University of Siegen. 

As part of the funding program Excellence Start-up Center.NRW, the NRW Ministry for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy is supporting the EnableUS project at the University of Siegen. The goal of the project is to sustainably strengthen the University of Siegen as a source of start-ups as part of an overall strategy. With EnableUS, the topic of entrepreneurship will be anchored even more strongly than before in research and teaching and the support of start-ups from the university will be expanded, whereby the areas of sustainability and social start-ups will be addressed in particular.

In order to expand the range of courses offered in the fields of social sciences and media studies, EnableUS offers new courses, seminars and lectures on the topic of entrepreneurship. The focus is on qualifying students for a later takeover of a business succession as well as on social start-ups and social entrepreneurship. The aim of social enterprises is to solve a social or ecological problem and at the same time to generate profits or to cover costs. This intention poses special challenges to the founders, who can benefit from the competences, programs and contacts of the EnableUS team and our partners (Startpunkt57, Gründerbüro, ventUS).

The offer of EnableUS is multifaceted and tailored to the needs of the founders. On the one hand, potential founders are advised on the development of business models and prototypes. On the other hand, there is special coaching for social enterprises (social entrepreneurship) which is supplemented by the market scouting team. The market scouts research figures, data and facts of different markets in order to complement academic knowledge with industry knowledge and to support the start-ups in tailoring their value proposition and business model.

In order to maximize the efficiency of the development process of potential start-ups, EnableUS also enables participation in programs such as the OSS Incubator Program or the OSS Accelerator Program (https://www.one-small-step.io) of our partners Startpuntk57 (https://www.startpunkt57.de), Gründerbüro (https://www.gruenden.uni-siegen.de) and ventUS (https://www.ventus-siegen.de). The synergy effects that arise through the cooperation of regional and university partners are particularly attractive for potential founders. This creates a community of interdisciplinary people interested in founding a company, experts and consultants who can exchange ideas and make contacts at regular networking events.

In order to establish a central point of contact for all aspects of start-ups in the region, the University of Siegen and the regional initiative Startpunkt57 have created the House of Innovation (HDI, http://hausderinnovation.art-siegen.de). This central contact point of the Commu-nity supports those interested in founding a company with consulting services, coaching, networking, events, offices and a co-working space. HDI is also the main venue for the incubator program.