Info
Welcome to RISE
RISE stands for Research, Innovation, Science, and Entrepreneurship. In this modular workshop series, we offer a variety of courses that will help you to put your research into practice - no matter your disciplinary and personal background. By taking part in RISE, you will not (yet) found your own business, but get a toolkit to boost your career and strengthen your innovation skills and mindset. You will get in touch with other researchers and scientists, meet experts from the startup ecosystem, and receive an excellent training tailored to your needs. RISE V begins with a two-day bootcamp and follows up with six workshops - even though we encourage you to take part in all the activities, you are free to join the modules that suit you best. As part of our cooperation with GRADUS, you will receive 0.25 LP as a doctoral candidate for successful participation in each of the workshops.
You should definitely join RISE if you:
- Are a PhD student or Post-doc researcher, affiliated with the University of Stuttgart or one of our partner institutions
- Have a general interest in the topic of founding a business, or are interested in specific modules on innovation
- Want to meet and exchange with peers, beyond your own disciplinary background
- Are keen to take away skills and knowledge to use in your future career
Do you identify with any of these aspects? Great! Take your time to get an overview of the modules, and then proceed to the registration page to sign up.
About us:
RISE is a joint initiative from the Elements4Founding project and the QCLUB project at the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science (ENI), bridging science and practice by supporting researchers and scientists in their considerations of transfer activities. With RISE V, we build upon the experience from four previous workshop series with trainers and coaches from industry, academia, and startups.
Our Network:
Thanks to the support from Vector Foundation, the BMBF, our partners from the Transfer Center (TRACES), the Falling Walls Foundation (Young Entrepreneurs in Science), and many others, we are able to offer these workshops to you for free. We work closely together with our partners at the Graduate Academy (GRADUS). It is important to us that all of our workshops offer a practical, innovative, and comfortable environment for all participants to share your ideas, navigate through the ecosystem, and build a strong network for your personal development. We live up to these values and do not tolerate any form of discrimination.
Contact:
If you have any questions not covered in the FAQ section below, please contact our project team at e4f@eni.uni-stuttgart.de.
Overview of all RISE Modules:
1: Kick-off Bootcamp: Career Path Entrepreneurship - from PhD to Innovator x YES
April 02-03, 9:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
We host this kick-off bootcamp together with our partners from the Falling Walls Foundation's Young Entrepreneurs in Science Initiative. After a brief introduction to the RISE program, you will get your feet wet in a workshop atmosphere. Throughout the two days, you will learn all about the foundations of bringing your research into practice - what it takes to transition "From PhD to Innovator", how to build strong and agile teams, and how to navigate through conflict along the way.
We are happy to welcome role models from industry and science on both days, including Florian Schilli from sat:io and Charles Degutis from Robert Bosch Corporate Research.
2: Design Thinking: Walk Through the Innovation Process
April 16, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
Since the beginning of RISE, more than 50 researchers have taken part in our workshops on the Design Thinking method. Conducted by our colleagues from the Design Factory Stuttgart, this module is designed to enhance your understanding of Design Thinking, to develop a new perspective on your research, and to think like an innovator by undergoing the Design Thinking process in a team, solving a challenge from everyday life.
3: A Roadmap for Product Management in Early-stage Business
April 30, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
From research to development to the market - especially in the early stages of innovation, the road is often unclear, bumpy, and can seem like giant task. For this module, we invited an expert with much experience in product management to give you insights and an overview on how to break down the steps of product management. You will get the chance to work on your own idea and find inspiration for a realistic roadmap.
4: Innovate with Impact: Matching Problems and Solutions
May 14, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
As researchers, many of us are driven by motives beyond economic interests - we want to have an impact. But what does this mean? How can our innovation from research and science help to tackle the 'grand challenges', and how do we achieve a balance? This workshop will help you to get a better understanding on the impact potential of your idea and show you that social businesses are still viable.
5: Navigating Customer Needs and Business Model Development
May 28, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
Customer centricity is one of the most important paradigms when you are interested in making a change with your research. This workshop is designed for you to understand how we put potential customers into focus to develop viable and sustainable business models. Together with our colleagues from the Transfer Center (TRACES), we will guide you through the process and give you helpful tools to understand and develop customer centric business models.
6: Legal Matters, Finance, and Funding: What to Consider in Science-based Innovations
June 25, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
Especially in the context of research and science, considering a spin-off raises big questions: How do I protect (my) intellectual property? Which legal rights and obligations do I have to consider as an employee, and which options for financial support are there? The general answer: It depends. To get to the root of this topic, we invited experts from the legal field and TRACES who deal with these questions on an everyday basis, who will help you to make the right considerations.
7: Pitch Training and Closing: Workshop and Get-together
July 09, 13:00-17:00 at ARENA2036
In the last module of RISE V, we will train you in an essential soft skill: presenting your idea confidently and precisely towards several audiences. This hands-on workshop is followed by an informal get-together to which we warmly invite all RISE-participants to close the RISE workshop series together with us, reflect upon the past three months and think of future activities in a relaxed setting.
Register Now »
Frequently Asked Questions:
"I am really not sure if founding a business is the right thing for me - does it still make sense to take part?"
Short answer: Yes! In the E4F/QCLUB project, we aim to make you aware of the opportunities that you have with transferring research into practice - but we do not force anyone to found a business! Regardless if you actually plan to found a business or not, you will take away skills for your future career, and to grow your professional network within and beyond academia. Curiosity is the only prerequisite for taking part in RISE.
"What language are the workshops held in?"
All the workshops will be held in English language.
"I am a PhD student at the University of Stuttgart. Do I get ECTS for my participation?"
Yes! Thanks to our close cooperation with the Graduate Academy (GRADUS), you will be able to obtain 0.25 LP for each of the modules. Please reach out to us if this is applicable for you.
"I cannot take part in all the modules - does it still make sense to join at all?"
Yes! Thanks to the unique modular design of the RISE workshop series, you are welcome to take part in the modules that fit best with your needs - of course, we highly encourage you to take part in as many modules as you can!
"Is it possible to join online?"
After the COVID-pandemic, we iterated several options of on-site, online, and hybrid courses throughout the past RISE series and have come to decide that the best workshop atmosphere is usually on-site. Still, if the courses on-site are not accessible to you out of any reason, please get in touch with us and we can find a solution together.
"I am not affiliated with the University of Stuttgart but another University in Baden-Württemberg. Can I still take part?"
Again, yes! We highly encourage interdisciplinary exchange on a regional level, so please feel free to join our courses.
"I am a master's student and not (yet) a full-time scientist or researcher."
We welcome you to take part in our courses, please notice that you will not obtain ECTS for your participation. You will receive a certificate of participation instead. If you are interested in similar courses for students, please also look out for the FÃœSQ program of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science (ENI) on C@MPUS.
