Innovation Day took place on January 29th, 2026, bringing together numerous exciting guests and participants eager to explore the start-up ecosystem. Attendees discovered diverse roles in entrepreneurship, learned what it truly means to be an entrepreneur, and uncovered what it takes to become a successful founder.

The morning session featured deep insights into entrepreneurship: Olga Belousova, Professor in the Department of Innovation Management and Strategy at the University of Groningen, and Georg Fischer, keynote speaker, coach, and entrepreneur, took participants on an inspiring Entrepreneurship Journey. Following the coffee break, attendees learned how to pitch their own innovative ideas.

During the networking lunch, participants connected directly with speakers and representatives from local and regional science, innovation, and start-up networks. They chatted with University of Heidelberg's hei_INNOVATION, ScienceValue Heidelberg GmbH representatives, and key players from the Mannheim Innovation Hubs: The Mannheim Medical Technology Cluster MMT, NEXT Mannheim's StartUp Centers CubexONE, Cubex 41 and Mafinex, the Life Science Accelerator Baden-Württemberg and the INSPIRE Plattform at UMM. Attendees received comprehensive information regardless of whether they had their business plan ready or were just beginning to explore entrepreneurship as a potential path.

The afternoon featured real-world examples through Fireside Chats, where diverse professionals shared their entrepreneurial journeys, offering both scientific insights and practical experiences on bringing ideas to market and thriving in the start-up world.

We thank all participants, speakers and guests for turning this day into an interactive highlight and look forward to the STMM Innovation Day 2027!

Check back for the schedule on this page.