![[Deep Tech] University support for spin-offs](https://images.spr.so/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/j42No7y-dcokJuNgXeA0ig/6edff114-df5f-4a39-b887-344359b3b810/20241121_III/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
📌 Key facts
⏱️ When: Start date is flexible! Applications are open!
📥 How to apply: Send us an e-mail (at the end of this page) with your CV and grade report
- 📌 Key facts
- 💡 Background
- 🎯 Goals
- 🦾 Who We Are
- 🧠 Topics of Interest
- 🎓 Profile
- 📚 Further Reading
- 📝 How to Apply
💡 Background
Deep Tech is based on high-tech innovation in significant scientific advances (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Quantum Computing, and Advanced Materials). Unlike traditional startups, Deep Tech startups require substantial time and capital to bring their technologies to market due to implementation, investment and collaborative risk (Romme, 2022).
Universities are vital engines of innovation, playing a crucial role in nurturing entrepreneurial activity and the formation of startups. Through a combination of resources such as research funding, access to cutting-edge technology, mentorship, and specialized facilities like incubators, universities provide a robust foundation for fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems (Billing et al., 2023). Academic spin-offs, in particular, benefit significantly from these resources, translating academic research into commercial ventures that drive technological advancement and economic growth (Breznitz et al., 2018).
Despite extensive research on the general relationship between university ecosystem support and startup success, there is limited understanding of how universities specifically influence Deep Tech startups. Deep Tech startups, characterized by high capital requirements, long development cycles, and a reliance on scientific breakthroughs, pose unique challenges that extend beyond the scope of conventional entrepreneurial support (Romme, 2022).
🎯 Goals
Your primary goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of university ecosystem support mechanisms by:
- Describing the nature and extent of university ecosystem support (e.g., funding, mentorship, infrastructure)
- Identifying and categorizing the instruments universities use to support startups, such as Technology Transfer Offices (TTO), entrepreneurship centers like UnternehmerTUM, Venture Labs, and investment funds
- Conducting surveys with founders to understand the university support received
- Examining the political and institutional support provided by universities and identifying gaps between what is needed and what is received
🦾 Who We Are
The Chair for Strategy and Organization is focused on research with impact. This means we do not want to repeat old ideas and base our research solely on the research people did 10 years ago. Instead, we currently research topics that will shape the future. Topics include Agile Organizations and Digital Disruption, Blockchain Technology, Creativity and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation, Diversity, Education: Education Technology and Performance Management, HRTech, Leadership, and Teams. We are always early in noticing trends, technologies, strategies, and organizations that shape the future, which has its ups and downs.
🧠 Topics of Interest
- Deep Tech
- Entrepreneurial ecosystems
- University-industry collaborations
- Survey design and statistical analysis
🎓 Profile
- Your work is super accurate. There is no room for 80/20, thus your academic track record is excellent
- Reliable, self-driven working style and proactive communication
- Analytical thinking and statistical knowledge
- Interest in entrepreneurship, Deep Tech, and university ecosystems
📚 Further Reading
- Breznitz, S. M., Clayton, P. A., Defazio, D., & Isett, K. R. (2018). Have you been served? The impact of university entrepreneurial support on start-ups’ network formation. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 43(2), 343–367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-017-9565-0
- Billing, C., Bramley, G., Ioramashvili, C., Lynam, R., Cepeda Zorrilla, M., Collinson, S., Humphreys, K., Kollydas, K., Pan, F., Pugh, A., Sevinc, D., & Yuan, P.-Y. (2023). The impact of university STEM assets: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0287005. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287005
- Maheshwari, G., Kha, K. L., & Arokiasamy, A. R. A. (2023). Factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial intentions: A systematic review (2005–2022) for future directions in theory and practice. Management Review Quarterly, 73(4), 1903–1970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-022-00289-2
- Romme, A. G. L. (2022). Against All Odds: How Eindhoven Emerged as a Deeptech Ecosystem. Systems, 10(4), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems10040119
📝 How to Apply
If you are interested, please contact Jannik Nolden by submitting 1) your desired starting date, 2) CV, 3) grade report and 4) a short motivation letter why you are interested in this topic and how you are a good fit for it.
Jannik Nolden (Chair for Strategy and Organization) 👉 jannik.nolden@tum.de