Topic: Startup Support in Ilmenau – From Idea to Innovation
Speaker: Rüdiger Horn, Managing Director of the Ilmenau Technology and Start-up Center
Time: Friday, May 22, 2026, 3:00 PM
Location: TU Ilmenau, Faraday Lecture Hall, Weimarer Straße 32, entrance on Prof. Schmidt-Straße
Admission: 5 euros
Since 1991, the Ilmenau Technology and Startup Center (TGZ) on the campus of the Technical University of Ilmenau has served as a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region. For over 35 years, its goal has been to create new, future-oriented jobs and strengthen the innovative power of the regional economy. This can only be achieved with bright minds who want to turn their ideas into something more—and with a network of dedicated partners. In his presentation as part of the TU Ilmenau Citizens’ Campus, Rüdiger Horn, Managing Director of the TGZ since 2015, offers insight into his work. This involves far more than simply renting space to people who want to turn a business idea into reality. His work begins with inspiring young men and women to embrace technology and independent entrepreneurship.
Rüdiger Horn, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering, studied at the TU Ilmenau and worked there as a researcher in automotive engineering and at the Thuringian Innovation Center for Mobility. His interactions with experts—not only from the university—convinced him of the importance of a community of innovative and technology-oriented people. On the path from idea to successful business, collaboration within the Ilmenau Research and Technology Campus is essential—as is engagement with the broader scientific and business communities. Finally, Rüdiger Horn also addresses the question of how Ilmenau benefits from the Technology and Startup Center and how it can continue to contribute to the region’s successful economic development in the future.
