Within the university cosmos, students and employees alike will, sooner or later, encounter the institution of University Sports (known in Germany as Hochschulsport). Although participating in sports in Germany is largely a private matter—unlike in the USA—University Sports holds great significance for German universities and boasts a long-standing tradition.

Even before World War II, the “Office for Physical Exercise” (Amt für Leibesübungen) existed within the German Student Union. It was established to institutionalize grassroots student sports and to send elite athletes to the Academic World Games (the precursor to the Universiade). Years later, the Nazi regime weaponized this office for military purposes and introduced mandatory military sports, which were subsequently banned by the Allied powers after the war.

A few years later, in 1948, the German University Sports Federation (adh) was founded in Bayrischzell. Until the 1960s, it functioned as the “Sports Office of the Association of German Student Unions” (VDS). Remarkably, the adh was the first German sports federation in the post-war years to successfully reconnect with the international sporting community. This was impressively demonstrated by the “III International Summer University Week” in 1953, which took place in Dortmund as the first international elite sporting event in the Federal Republic after the war.

Since the 1970s, participation has been open to all university members, not just students. Professional sports staff were hired, and University Sports was officially anchored in legislation. Today, University Sports comprises 206 member universities (as of October 2025), whose students and staff can utilize the programs and compete in adh championships (e.g., the German University Championships). Furthermore, the adh is internationally integrated through its membership in the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

As a member of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, you can also benefit from the diverse University Sports program—and save a full 15% on course bookings in April 2026.

Because we cooperate with HU University Sports, you will also receive a 15% discount on our products at the HumboldtStore, where you can gear up with all the necessary sportswear.

Find out more: Mehr Bewegung, mehr Style und dabei sparen – sichere dir 15% im Humboldt Store — Zentraleinrichtung Hochschulsport der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Der Beitrag The History of University Sports erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

As a joint venture between two AI incubators, AI NATION brings together the Munich and Berlin startup ecosystems, providing AI startups across Germany with comprehensive support for their ventures. In this context, the current stage of the startup is irrelevant: AI NATION accompanies companies from their very first steps through to complex scale-up processes. Last week, AI NATION hosted the Welcome Days, where startups at various stages of development—including AI NATION GRANT and AI NATION ACCELERATOR teams—gathered from all over Germany.

Over the coming months, the teams will undergo an intensive program: The GRANT teams will focus on validating ideas, developing prototypes, achieving product-market fit, and recruiting their first test consumers. Meanwhile, the ACCELERATOR Teams will engage in a period defined by growth initiatives, optimizing efficiency and quality, increasing revenue, and strategic development.

AI NATION’s Welcome Week marked the official start of the upcoming development period. The event featured team gatherings, insightful Fireside Chats, and the ACCELERATOR Demo Night, where the Autumn 2025 batch presented the results of their hard work from the past few months.

This year, the regular networking event BarBQ, hosted by leap.berlin and OpTecBB e.V., coincided exactly with World Quantum Day. Every few weeks, this event brings together students, founders, scientists, and enthusiasts to exchange ideas on topics within the field of quantum science and industry.

As the innovation hub of BERLIN QUANTUM, leap.berlin—together with the Berlin University Alliance, Humboldt-Innovation GmbH, OpTecBB, and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology—is dedicated to promoting Berlin as a globally recognized, collaborative research community that drives innovation in quantum science and technology.

To achieve this, it is crucial that researchers and quantum entrepreneurs experience Berlin as a hub for an interactive and diverse scientific community with excellent talent development so that events like BarBQ are a vital cornerstone of this mission.

Der Beitrag Week 16: AI NATION Welcome Week, Quantum Hotspot Berlin erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

The AI NATION ACCELERATOR Spring 2026 batch is set! We are delighted to welcome 15 startups, consisting of familiar faces from the AI NATION GRANT or THE POOL, as well as brand-new talent from all over Germany. On Wednesday, April 15, the teams will come together for the Welcome Days to kick off the new batch.

In 2023, Nina Heine and Fabian Habicht founded their company, Shit2Power, with the support of the EXIST and Berlin Startup scholarships. Their innovative idea? Generating energy from sewage sludge – traditionally a waste product – and using it to treat wastewater. By utilizing this recovered energy, wastewater treatment plants can increase their output of purified freshwater in a cost-effective and climate-neutral way.

The startup has already received several awards for this remarkable project, but now founder Nina Heine is being bestowed a very special honor: in 2026, she is one of three finalists at the German Startup Awards in the “Founder of the Year” category. She successfully stood out against more than 400 other nominees. The award ceremony will take place on May 21, 2026, at the Palais am Funkturm in Berlin. We’re crossing our fingers!

Deep Tech Momentum brings together founders, investors, corporates, and policymakers who are actively working to transfer deep tech from science into real-world applications. Science & Startups will also be part of the event this year to network with science-based founders, early-stage teams, investors, and entrepreneurs, while providing insights into the ecosystem of the joint startup service of Berlin’s major universities. The event will take place over two days, from May 20–21, 2026, at Wilhelm Studios in Berlin.

Der Beitrag Week 15: AI NATION ACCELERATOR Batch, Nina Heine at German Startup Awards, Deep Tech Momentum erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Last week, Science & Startups hosted the kickoff event for Batch I of the Berlin Startup Fellowship, where the startups got to know each other, Science & Startups and BSS were introduced, and a workshop titled “Entrepreneur Starter Lab” took place. Over the next few weeks, the teams will be featured on social media. Stay tuned!

Great news! Two AI NATION startup alumni have made it to the finals of the prestigious German Startup Awards and are competing for the title of “Newcomer.” One is Sitegeist, led by Dr. Lena-Marie Pätzmann, Julian Hoffmann, Claus Carste, and Nicola Kolb, which offers autonomous and modular construction robots designed to address the shortage of skilled workers. The other contender is the startup nextract, founded by Maurits Zevering, Daniel Benkoff, and Mariia Semenenko. Their business model is designed to help renewable energy producers reach their full production potential.

Der Beitrag Week 14: Kick-Off BSS Startups, AI NATION Alumni in Finals of German Startup Awards erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Our topics of week 13

Last week brought some big news: Dr. Tina Klüwer, co-founder of K.I.E.Z., is the new Executive Director of AI NATION, Germany’s nationwide ecosystem and platform for AI startups! With K.I.E.Z., she was a true pioneer in the field of AI hubs, setting new standards and playing a decisive role in the program’s high visibility throughout Germany. Now, AI NATION stands to benefit from her extensive experience in AI research, startups, and industry.

She is widely regarded as a key figure in the scene, uniquely combining entrepreneurial, scientific, and political expertise. In the coming years, she will be responsible for the strategic development of AI NATION and will play a major role in shaping the next growth phase of Germany’s AI ecosystem.

The travel group that spent nine days in Shanghai and the Yangtze Delta has returned, bringing back their key takeaways. Dr. Isabelle Harbrecht from the China Competence Center, who played a leading role in organizing the trip, summarized those:

• German companies in China are increasing their investments locally and view China as a model to learn from.
• 73 percent of German companies operating on the ground want the German government to treat China more strongly as a partner again.
• Transfer and matchmaking between researchers and companies are prioritized in the Yangtze Delta.
• China’s new five-year plan focuses on AI, quantum computing, humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, deep-sea and polar technologies, and 6G.
• China’s relevance in international legal affairs has grown. For instance, China acts as a key player in the international development of legislation regarding anti-money laundering, the taxation of global income, and e-Apostilles.

Der Beitrag Week 13: New Executive Director of AI NATION, Key Takeaways from the Trip to China erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Highlights in week 12

From March 15 to 25, 2026, a delegation from the China Competence Training Center at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin including two members of the Humboldt-Innovation Academy as well as specialists and executives from various universities and research institutions traveled to China. Their goal is to expand their China-related expertise and gain firsthand insights into the complex, forward-looking ecosystem of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. During the visit, meetings are scheduled with representatives from science, business, politics, and diplomacy to exchange ideas on China’s higher education and research landscape, innovation strategies, and international cooperation, while also fostering professional networks.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can now apply once again for the Berlin Startup Scholarship (Berliner Startup-Stipendium) through Science & Startups. In March, the startup network launched its new call for applications titled “Science & Startups for Democratic Resilience.” The program awards scholarships to startups that have developed innovations focused on democratic resilience, social stability, and sustainable development. This year, the total funding volume for the Berlin Startup Scholarship amounts to 31 million euros, enabling the support of 680 prospective founders. The funds are provided by the State of Berlin and the European Social Fund. Click here for the full article: Science & Startups Raises 8 Million Euros for a New Round of Funding in the Berlin Startup Scholarship Program • Berlin University Alliance

In mid-March, the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL) was officially inaugurated. In this new facility, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will collaborate to develop and test resource-efficient battery technologies, with a specific focus on sodium-ion batteries. The research facility is also open to external partners from science and industry, such as startups and technology-based companies. The primary goal of the lab is to accelerate the transition from research to practical application while efficiently leveraging the synergies between the participating institutes. All three institutions possess outstanding expertise in this field; HU, for instance, is one of the leading universities in the area of sodium-ion batteries. Consequently, HU Professor Philipp Adelhelm was appointed as one of the lab’s three scientific directors, alongside Dr. Tim-Patrick Fellinger (BAM) and Prof. Dr. Yan Lu (HZB).

Der Beitrag Week 12: Journey to China, BSS, Inauguration of BBL erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 11

The Berlin University Alliance (BUA)—Germany’s first excellence alliance comprising Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin—successfully passed its evaluation on March 11, 2026, as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.

With this result, the alliance secures continued funding in the millions, marking a significant victory for the scientific landscape of both Berlin and Germany. The positive assessment confirms that the BUA has achieved its 2019 objectives and possesses a robust vision for the future.

On March 10, 2026, OpTecBB hosted the “Female Leadership in Quantum” edition of its BarBQ event at Leap Berlin. Deep tech experts Isabella Douzoglou Muños, Dr. Franziska Greinert, Maria Ksenia Witte, Eda S., and Jana Lehner took the stage as speakers and panelists to share their extensive leadership experience.

The discussion centered on how diversity acts as a catalyst for the quantum industry, yielding exclusively positive results: more resilient teams, better decision-making, and stronger companies. Inclusion improves performance—especially in a field characterized by uncertainty, high complexity, and lengthy innovation cycles. Another topic of discussion was the advancement of women in the quantum industry. The panel concluded that systems that enable female leadership benefit greatly from this. More about the event: BERLIN QUANTUM BBQ April 2026 | Quantum technology from Berlin

Der Beitrag Week 11: BUA continues to Excel, Female Leadership in the Quantum Industry erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 10

On International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, FLINTA individuals once again took to the streets worldwide to fight for women’s rights and gender equality. On this day, Science & Startups published figures that serve as yet another reminder that equality and equal opportunity are still not a reality in the startup world. In Germany, only 19.8 percent of startup founders are women. In general, women are less likely to envision themselves becoming founders: In a student survey, 40 percent of men stated that they could see themselves as founders in the future. In contrast, only 21 percent of their female classmates said the same. Founders Dr. Adiba Maignan and Stine Hecht, with whom Science & Startups spoke on Women’s Day, say that scholarships and institutional support were crucial in their decision to ultimately start a business. Furthermore, research shows that role models and the ability to balance work and family life are essential for closing the gender gap in the startup industry.

The performance of quantum computers far exceeds that of classical models. Quantum computing is considered a key technology of the future, as it enables fundamentally new approaches to highly complex problems in business, mobility, energy, and medicine. The potential of the technology became clear at the awards ceremony for the first Berlin Quantum Hackathon 2026. Charité and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe had tasked six development teams with challenges in the fields of medicine and mobility, which they were to solve using quantum computing. All teams arrived at practical solutions. Three of them received awards from State Secretary Severin Fischer: First place went to Team Mayo Clinic, second place to The Depth Compressors, and third place to Beerantum. The project demonstrates how quantum computing is increasingly being put to practical use and solving complex societal problems. The 2026 Hackathon was funded through the Zukunft Berlin project of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises, as well as with EU funding. It was organized by Kipu Quantum in collaboration with BERLIN QUANTUM. “The impressive number of applications for the hackathon has once again shown how important the quantum computing scene is for Berlin!” emphasizes HI Managing Director Volker Hofmann.

Der Beitrag Week 10: Gender Gap in Startup Scene, first Quantum Hackathon 2026 erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

The political attitudes of young people in Europe differ significantly by gender, a trend already highlighted by the 2025 study “The youth gender gap in support for the far right” from the Humboldt Governance Lab. This divergence is clearly visible in Germany, where 25 percent of young men identify with the right-wing spectrum, compared to only 14 percent of women. Conversely, support for left-wing parties is growing among their female peers, rising from 44 percent in 2019 to 51 percent in 2024.

The reasons for these gender differences are complex: Young men tend to orient themselves more strongly toward traditional roles and images of masculinity, and many feel left behind in a world shaped by globalization and modernization. Because they obtain higher educational qualifications less frequently than women, they are more often affected by economic insecurity. While lower education levels correlate strongly with right-wing populist attitudes, a high level of education is no guarantee for the rejection of right-wing positions.

In Germany, a young person’s place of residence also plays a decisive role in their political stance. In recent state elections in Eastern Germany, between 29 and 38 percent of the younger generation cast their vote for the right-wing populist AfD, whereas these percentages are lower in Western German regions. This can be explained by a persistent East-West divide regarding wages, infrastructure, and demographics to the disadvantage of Eastern Germany.

Generally, the voting behavior of younger generations in Germany is characterized as volatile and susceptible to crises. Alongside frustration and political apathy, there is a shattered trust in established parties. It is particularly striking that 44 percent of the younger generation desire a “strong hand” in government leadership. At the same time, a counter-pole exists, defined by high political interest, satisfaction with democracy, and progressive values among young people.

Der Beitrag Generation Divide: Why are young men and women drifting so far apart politically? erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

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.

Der Beitrag Week 48: Board Position for Volker Hofmann erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.