At the opening: Lord Mayor Hanno Benz, Szilárd Varga (Grünewald GmbH), TUDa President Tanja Brühl and Vice President Thomas Walther.
- TU Darmstadt and HIGHEST offer INNODAY24 as a platform for exchanging ideas between tech startups, founders, industry, investors, policymakers, academics, and over 1,400 visitors
- More than 100 exhibitors from Germany and Europe showcase innovative technologies, startup concepts, and ideas at the darmstadtium
- For the first time, European universities and their tech communities from Unite! University Alliance for Innovation, Technology, and Engineering are participating
- Initiators from FUTURY, the RheinMain Startup Factory, part of the BMWK lighthouse competition, present their concept
INNODAY24 demonstrates the collective innovation power of the Rhine-Main-Neckar region as founders and innovators present their startups and inventions at the darmstadtium. Over 1.400 visitors from academia, industry, society, and politics are networking at the event, organized by TU Darmstadt and its innovation and startup center HIGHEST. For the first time, startups from European universities part of the Unite! University Alliance for Innovation, Technology, and Engineering are participating under the theme “Inspiring People – Sparking Innovation.” Tech innovations from Finland to Portugal, as well as the Rhine-Main region, are showcasing their visions for a sustainable future at INNODAY24. Collaboration between research, innovation, and industry plays a key role in the success of these projects.
The 8th Startup and Innovation Day, or INNODAY24, has become a major event for Sciencepreneurs, offering excellent opportunities for networking and exchange within the startup ecosystem. The diverse program includes inspiring keynotes, a live podcast on “Female Entrepreneurs,” as well as networking formats like founder speed dating and the startup pitch corner. Workshops on patents and finance provide valuable information for aspiring founders.
In a keynote speech, the initiators of FUTURY, the RheinMain Startup Factory, which recently received federal funding from BMWF for its concept phase in the lighthouse competition, present their concept. This partnership, under the FUTURY umbrella, includes the Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and TU Darmstadt, along with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.
“The INNODAY is being held for the eighth time with impressive success. This year, I am particularly pleased that startups from our European University Alliance Unite! and partners from our RheinMain Startup Factory are among the exhibitors,” said Professor Dr. Tanja Brühl, President of TU Darmstadt. “Their participation reflects how we at TU Darmstadt shape our Third Mission, xchange for innovation: Supporting creative minds in developing their ideas for the future into successful companies works best when done together—connected with strong and committed partners. This applies to networking within the Rhine-Main region, where we further promote the economic strength and future viability of our region. It equally applies to networking within and for Europe, which we live together in Unite!”
“This year’s INNODAY, initiated by TU Darmstadt at the darmstadtium, is an excellent opportunity for founders, established entrepreneurs, and representatives from academia and politics to learn about the latest developments in the startup sector, exchange ideas, gain inspiration, and expand their networks,” explained Mayor Hanno Benz. “The City of Science Darmstadt, with its four universities, numerous large and innovative companies, and targeted support for young talents at Hub31, offers the ideal breeding ground for this. I am very much looking forward to the exchange at INNODAY24.”
“Today’s INNODAY is a key and very successful part of our innovation promotion strategy. This trade fair and networking event attracts more attention each year. We are also very proud of the recently initiated RheinMain Startup Factory under the FUTURY umbrella. This network of strong partners, which includes TU Darmstadt, initiates, supports, and accompanies technology- and knowledge-based startups, spin-offs, and innovation projects from our metropolitan region,” said Harald Holzer, Managing Director of HIGHEST. “We have taken a significant step toward our goal of building a startup and innovation hotspot for future-proof, technology- and knowledge-based entrepreneurship around Darmstadt.”
Highlights 2024
