Week 48: Board Position for Volker Hofmann

Last week, Science & Startups relaunched the EXIST Women program. This initiative supports FLINTA individuals* from the scientific community who are ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Participants are equipped with the necessary tools, provided with financial funding, and integrated into strong networks to bring their ideas to life. Consultation sessions are available until December 15, and applications are open until December 31, 2025. The initiative is funded by EXIST, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Project Management Jülich. More info: EXIST Women Science & Startups.

On December 4, 2025, Volker Hofmann, Managing Director of Humboldt-Innovation GmbH, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Humboldt-Universitäts-Gesellschaft (HUG). The society bridges research and teaching with businesses and organizations, serving as a vital link between Humboldt-Universität and the general public. The honorary board supports young researchers in their projects and helps them present their work to a wider audience.

Last Thursday, the startup factory JUNI (formerly “UNITE”) hosted its UNITE Science Day, where association members came together to advance UNITE’s shared mission as a central catalyst for academic spin-offs. The event opened with welcoming remarks from State Secretaries Dr. Henry Marx and Tobias Dünow, as well as Olaf Schulz. Following this, Managing Directors Laura Möller and Christoph Krüger presented the UNITE strategy, leading into a panel discussion moderated by Stefanie Molthagen-Schnöring. Panelists Thomas Heilmann, Laura Möller, Christian Segal, and Matan Beery discussed how UNITE can serve as a bridge between science and industry. To conclude, participants joined deep-dive workshops to develop concrete next steps for the hub, which will guide UNITE’s future direction. One of UNITE’s core goals is to facilitate the creation of 365 startups per year.