HHU – The Entrepreneur University

Back in July 2011, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf was awarded a prize by the BMWi in the nationwide competition "EXIST Gründungskultur – Die Gründerhochschule“ (EXIST IV). As part of our award-winning strategic concept, the Center for Entrepreneurship Düsseldorf (CEDUS) has since become the contact point for all scientists, graduates and students interested in starting a business.

In July 2020, the project "HHU Gründungsförderung" received three million euros from the initiative “Exzellenz Start-up Center.NRW“, so that we can further expand our start-up-related offers at the Center for Entrepreneurship Düsseldorf as well as the startup teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Economics. Our Chair of Business Administration, in particular Entrepreneurship and Financing, under Prof. Dr. Eva Lutz, is dedicated to startup research and forms the basis for the positive development of the startup culture here at HHU. The Chair of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship under Prof. Dr. Steffi Haag investigates digital user experiences, innovation, and business models with the goal of better understanding and helping to shape the impact of technological change on individuals, organizations, and our society.

Finally, through the Technology Transfer Heinrich Heine Universität GmbH (TTHU), a wholly owned subsidiary of HHU, we realize investments of our own spin-offs. With our patent and exploitation strategy, HHU thus focuses on the economic use of research results through spin-offs.