It was a great privilege to host p2i Network's p2i in action this year. Happy to experience the heartbeat of Germany's industry hotspot #ruhrgebiet with such outstanding people! Besides, it was such a fun ride!
Professor for Information Systems at University of Duisburg-Essen | Place Beyond Bytes | Dad | (he/him/his)
🌟 3 days of Deep Tech & Science Venturing with Europe's leading research institutes in Duisburg🌟 What an exhilarating three days at Place Beyond Bytes on the Haniel campus, shining a great new light on the potential of the #ruhr area as a hot spot for deep tech and industry innovation. We were thrilled to host the p2i In Action event this year, bringing together 25 late-stage PhD students and postdocs from some of the most prestigious institutions, including University of Cambridge, The University of Edinburgh, Université PSL, Universität Innsbruck, AstraZeneca, and Universität Duisburg-Essen. This was more than just an academic gathering—it was a hub of #innovation and #entrepreneurial exploration, where researchers turned their groundbreaking ideas into practical projects ready for the market. The energy was palpable as participants from diverse fields and backgrounds collaborated to fuse research with real-world impact. Talking to the brilliant minds of postdocs from diverse domains is a great gift that I highly value and appreciate. Not only do I constantly gather learnings about exciting developments in #data, #organoids, #omics or #nanomaterials. Moreover, discussions in how to venture in these domains keep on giving! 🚀 Hands-on Workshops tackled critical aspects of entrepreneurship: Following our my initial setup on business modeling for deep techs, we had intense workshops and thought-provoking discussions, including: Do users actually want your product? (Thank you to Thibauld and Anita for leading the Desirability Workshop) How do we tailor innovations for sustainable impact? (Shoutout to Tomasz for guiding the teams while also playing the coordinator on-site) Am I riding a dead horse or is any of this viable? (Thanks, Alexander) How can I make use of these "entrepreneurship tools" in the sciences? (Katia reflects on her work with postdocs for years) And of course, the super-exciting Pitch Like a Pro session (A big thanks to Amy and Max for helping participants refine their pitches) 🌍 Special Experiences: The participants didn’t just stay in the "classroom"—they had the chance to visit the thyssenkrupp Steel Factory and witness the impressive transition to sustainable steel production. This provided a tangible example of how innovation and sustainability can work hand in hand. The tour of Duisburg Landschaftspark Nord, a unique transformation of an industrial site into a cultural and natural space, was another unforgettable highlight! 🙏 Shoutouts to our incredible facilitators and our fantastic jurors, Christian Gondek from thyssenkrupp and Ersin Üstün from BRYCK.COM. Your expertise and dedication made this event an inspiring journey! The collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that emerged over these three days is exactly what the p2i Network is all about. Here's to creating the next wave of groundbreaking ideas! #InnovationInAction #Entrepreneurship #p2iNetwork #Sustainability