Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES) is a further education programme in workshop format and is aimed at doctoral students from all disciplines at German universities. The programme is offered by the Falling Walls Foundation, an international hub that links science, business and politics. RUB students were able to experience the unique atmosphere of the Berlin hub via Start4Chem – and become part of something bigger.
Frederik Lehmann, one of the Start4Chem Startup Coaches, took part in a course. This is what he experienced there:
The courses are aimed primarily at prospective doctoral students and show them an alternative career path alongside industry and academia. In addition to courses on career prospects, the courses primarily provide a new, application-orientated perspective on one’s own research. Using personal examples, the courses sensitise students to entrepreneurial thinking and action and teach them the necessary skills. This can help to facilitate the transfer of your own research results and broaden your career prospects.
The two-day online workshop “From PhD to Innovator” focused on gaining initial insights into the topics of entrepreneurship. The course instructors pointed out the parallels between their own research and the iterative process of realising a start-up project. Due to the familiar atmosphere during the course, the participants were able to easily share their self-reflections with the entire group. The course also taught elementary skills that are useful even before the start-up. The course also taught the presentation of ideas with simple means and low complexity. All participants produced a prototype of their own idea during the course. It was precisely this reduction in complexity that opened up a new space for thought. The subsequent pitch training, the quick conceptualisation of a pitch and its presentation to an internal jury, also made us realise that it can be beneficial to present unfinished concepts and ideas outside of the scientific world. Especially in the entrepreneurial context and in the start-up scene, it is common to present prototypes and ideas in the early stages of development, as early feedback and early contact with potential customers helps to further develop one’s own idea or product. Throughout the workshop, the participants felt challenged and encouraged. They particularly benefited from the encouragement of interdisciplinary communication. We are sure that such experiences can help all scientists, regardless of whether they are aiming for a traditional career path in industry or research or would prefer to push ahead with a start-up idea. Entrepreneurial thinking can be beneficial in all areas and have a positive impact on your own career path.