Week 28: Bundestag meets Chemical Industry, 429 Berlin Startups within first Half of Year

Last week, representatives of chemistry-specific technology transfer ecosystems, such as Carolina Wolters Soto and Martin Rahmel from greenCHEM, discussed with Green Party members of the Bundestag how to bridge the gap between excellent chemical research and genuine innovation. The focus was on greenCHEM’s discussion paper “GO-Chem” and the question of how technology transfer in the chemical sector can be specifically strengthened. The chemical industry is of vital importance for a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. Whilst Germany has the necessary research infrastructure, translating research into practical applications remains a major challenge. The experts noted that this step requires dedicated transfer teams, transfer-specific chemical laboratories and infrastructure, as well as funding programmes. greenCHEM’s discussion paper outlines what a specific funding programme for transfer teams in the chemical sector might look like. One thing is clear, however: a successful transformation can only take place if science, politics and industry work together.

Berlin has reached a new record high with 429 newly founded start-ups in the first half of 2026. This represents a 21 per cent increase compared with the second half of 2025. However, there is no time to rest on these figures, as Germany’s major cities are also catching up. New companies are constantly emerging in Munich, Hamburg and Cologne, and university cities in particular – such as Aachen, Potsdam and Heidelberg – are experiencing a boom. Berlin’s success is largely driven by the close collaboration between Berlin’s universities and the Charité through the Berlin University Alliance, which enables research innovations to be directly translated into start-up activities.