Federal millions for Central German Startup Factory "boOst"

This was announced by the BMWE at a press conference in Berlin. This outstanding success is linked to millions of euros in funding from the federal government, which will be supplemented by at least the same amount of funding from the project partners in industry.

Dresden University of Technology (TUD) and Leipzig University (UL) are coordinating the Central German universities that have already joined forces in the "Startup Campus Alliance" and are involved in "boOst": Chemnitz University of Technology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Dresden University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Ernst Abbe University Jena.

With a clear focus on areas such as semiconductor technology and chip design, photonics and health tech, "boOst" is laying the foundations for the next generation of high-tech companies "Made in Germany".

• Ambitious goals: Doubling the number of start-ups in the coming years

The "boOst" initiative aims to double the number of knowledge-based start-ups in Saxony and Thuringia from around 100 at present to 200 start-ups per year by 2030 - at least 50 of them with a deep-tech focus.

In addition to the universities, Infineon, ZEISS, Bosch, ESMC and X-Fab, companies with top European production sites for microelectronics in Saxony are participating in the Startup Factory. Other high-caliber partners include Volkswagen and the MADSACK media group. The shareholders of boOst Ecosystem gGmbH include TUDAG, SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator and the Thomas Kirchner Foundation (YETI), which together with TUD and UL make up the management team of boOst Ecosystem gGmbH based in Dresden.

Marco Weicholdt, Managing Director of boOst Startup Ecosystem GmbH: "We want to establish a new start-up culture in eastern Germany. With the Startup Factory merger, we are empowering people to translate their own ideas and technologies into marketable products, facilitating access to industry and capital, building powerful interdisciplinary teams and promoting the founding of high-growth technology companies. Our aim is to build start-ups that excel in international competition and keep value creation in the region in the long term.

• Background: EXIST lighthouse competition "Startup Factories"

The EXIST lighthouse competition of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) promotes the establishment of ten privately funded startup factories at university locations in Germany. The aim is to create regional innovation centers with international appeal that systematically support technology-oriented start-ups - from research to global market success. The funded projects were selected by an independent jury in summer 2025 and implementation is scheduled to start on October 1, 2025.