StarTH, the start-up network of Thuringia’s universities, is bringing together innovative start-up teams and stakeholders from Thuringia’s start-up scene at the ‘Technology & DeepTech Forum 2026’ on 5 November at the Ilmenau Technology and Start-up Centre. Up to 70 participants are expected from start-up teams, research, politics, funding bodies, associations and other partner organisations. An accompanying exhibition will provide an opportunity for discussions and to forge new business relationships. Information: www.hochschul-gruendernetzwerk.de
How can Thuringian universities work together to create better conditions for technology-oriented start-ups? The “StarTH Technology & DeepTech Forum 2026”, taking place on 5 November at the Technology and Start-up Centre on the TU Ilmenau university campus, will address this question. It brings together start-up teams from Thuringian universities with stakeholders from the fields of start-up support, research and politics.
The forum will focus on the start-up teams, who will present their technological developments and business ideas in pitches. A speaker session will address DeepTech start-up ecosystems – that is, the entire network that supports the creation, financing and growth of technology start-ups. The panel discussion ‘The best technology isn’t enough. What does DeepTech need to get started?’ will address the framework conditions for science-based start-ups. An accompanying exhibition featuring stands run by the start-up teams, partners and the TU Ilmenau FabLab – a network of open workshops, laboratories and makerspaces at TU Ilmenau – offers opportunities for discussion and for forging new contacts.
The event highlights universities as a significant source of innovative, knowledge-based start-ups. The particular strength of universities lies in: From the very beginning, they support research teams on their journey from an initial idea to an entrepreneurial prospect: they identify potential for innovation and develop promising start-up ideas and business models. On their path to establishing their own companies, the start-up teams can make use of the universities’ highly specialised laboratories. In addition, the universities help them to protect their business idea or invention. By ensuring that intellectual property is transferred from the universities to the future start-ups, their competitive edge is secured in the long term.
The ‘Technology & DeepTech Forum 2026’ highlights why collaboration in the start-up sector across university boundaries is important in Thuringia: diverse expertise and experience in start-up support come together, contacts are forged and pathways from research to application are explored. The start-up services offered by Thuringia’s universities are closely networked with the entire Thuringian innovation and start-up ecosystem: the technology and start-up centres, ThEx innovativ with the Thuringian accelerator program ‘TRIP’, Thuringia’s leading venture capital firm bm-t, and the Chambers of Industry and Commerce. During the start-up phase, advice and support for the teams are gradually handed over to the partners, creating a continuous support process – from the initial concept to market entry and financing.
“StarTH Technology & DeepTech Forum 2026”
5 November 2026, 2.00–6.00 pm
Ilmenau Technology and Start-up Centre
Ehrenbergstraße 11, 98693 Ilmenau
Program
2.00 pm Welcome addresses
2.15 pm Introduction and presentation of StarTH Technology & DeepTech
14:40 Pitches from technology and DeepTech teams from Thuringian universities
16:15 Speaker session: ‘DeepTech start-up ecosystems’
17:00 Panel discussion: “The best technology isn’t enough. What does DeepTech need to get started?”
Contact
Dörte Gerhardt
Head of the Research Services and Technology Transfer, TU Ilmenau
+49 3677 69-2512
dörte.gerhardt@tu-ilmenau.de
