Univations, Halle, Germany.

Established in 2006 as an affiliated institute of Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Univations GmbH and its 15 full time employees take charge for entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer activities in Southern Saxony-Anhalt.

As such, the institute fulfils an important bridge function between higher education, industry and policy makers inside the regional innovation eco-system. Doing so, Univations pursues a holistic approach to innovation and start-up support – from entrepreneurship awareness raising and competence development activities at school- and HEI-level to management consulting for start-ups and experienced SMEs. It supports entrepreneurs and university spinoffs in all phases of the start-up life cycle as well as innovative enterprises in their efforts to develop new technologies and services.

The essential motivation for this systematic support lies in the creation of premium jobs and a top-skilled workforce in a structurally catching up region which is, however, at the peak with regards to demographic change and induced business effects (e.g. problems connected to business succession).

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With relevance to the project objectives, Univations has successfully operated more than 12 projects and initiativesrelating to entrepreneurship support and training, finance (esp. venture capital related affairs), business development and succession, knowledge transfer (esp. as intermediary for joint R&D actions between SMEs and HEI stakeholder) and lifelong training (of pupils, students, professionals and pensioners) which have been (co-)financed by regional, federal and European support programs. With access to an extensive professional partner network along the knowledge triangle and towards intermediaries, chambers and policy-shaping authorities, we understand our mission as to take on a key role for fostering entrepreneurship education, innovation as well as business development in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and beyond.

To add, Univations is an experience partner in Erasmus+ projects (Knowledge Alliances, Strategic Partnerships, Capacity Building) as (lead) partner, esp. in the fields of business support (focus entrepreneurship and innovation management) and knowledge transfer.

Article extracted from the Succession Ready project proposal.

Editor: Mario Ceccarelli, Project Officer at UIIN