Innovations to tackle the challenges of our time

Our society faces major challenges: be it an ageing population, the provision of affordable housing, holistic health management or the management of global resources. It is precisely for these reasons that innovative start-ups offering sustainable solutions are needed to secure the long-term future of our society. As part of Start-up Week Germany, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences is offering a comprehensive programme of events for creative minds and those interested in starting a business. This year, in particular, the focus is on female founders, with tailor-made initiatives such as a special ‘success cocktail’.

This year’s ‘Best Idea Cup’, taking place on the third day of Start-up Week, demonstrates that Generation Y (‘Why’) is no longer just asking questions, but is offering solutions and answers to the real and serious challenges of our time. The unique contributions and ideas demonstrate that things can be ‘better not only in the past but also in the future’. Numerous students, some working in multinational teams, are presenting innovative business ideas with interesting opportunities for creating value.

The numerous events are characterised by the fact that, on the one hand, they cover various aspects of entrepreneurship – such as business model design, scalability, business planning and financing – whilst, on the other hand, offering personalised advisory services tailored to the ideas, skills and opportunities of individual students, with a view to ensuring a promising start to their start-up phase. 

In principle, a start-up has two ‘simple’ questions to answer: What is the added value or benefit for customers? And: How can it be scaled up? To grasp these principles, it is helpful to adopt a broader perspective, to view the world holistically and to think in terms of interdependencies. This is a guiding principle that also underpins the numerous contributions and ideas at this year’s Start-up Week. Come and visit us from 14 to 18 November 2016.