On December 9, the iuh—Institute for Entrepreneurial Action—celebrated its 25th anniversary with an academic ceremony at the LUX Pavilion of Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Under the motto “iuh – 25 Years of Fostering Entrepreneurial Thinking!”, representatives from academia, politics, and the business world gathered, including Minister of Economic Affairs Daniela Schmitt, who has supported the iuh since its founding in 2000.
For a quarter of a century, the iuh has stood for the spirit of entrepreneurship in action at a university of applied sciences. What began as a small support service has evolved into a distinguished, research-intensive, and interdisciplinary institution that has had a lasting impact on teaching, research, and knowledge transfer in the field of entrepreneurship, with a reach extending far beyond Mainz.
The celebration focused on discussions about Rhineland-Palatinate as a hub for startups, a retrospective on the iuh’s development since its founding, and a look ahead to the role of universities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In discussions and keynote addresses, representatives from politics, academia, and funding agencies discussed the framework conditions for startups, the importance of networking and knowledge transfer, and the responsibility of universities as drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Economic Affairs Minister Daniela Schmitt placed special emphasis on the institute’s development over the past 15 years under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Elmar D. Konrad. For instance, he helped secure funding for the Mainz Startup Office and, as its academic director, helped build it up at the university, which evolved into today’s Startup Service. During that time, Mainz University of Applied Sciences regularly ranked among the top five universities nationwide in the Stifterverband’s Startup Radar.
At the same time, the ceremony honored the pioneering work of the early years, which was significantly shaped by Prof. Dr. Matthias Eickhoff and Prof. Dr. Sven Fischbach.
Today, according to the minister, the iuh stands for creative entrepreneurship, innovative entrepreneurship education, research-based insights for practical application, and close collaboration with regional and national partners from politics, business, and the startup scene.
At the same time, Daniela Schmitt made it clear that entrepreneurship at Mainz University of Applied Sciences has long been a key component of academic training. The doctoral degrees awarded in the Department of Economics during the event exemplify the growing strength of research and the successful combination of entrepreneurial spirit and academia.
Overall, the anniversary celebration impressively demonstrated that the iuh’s success is rooted in dedicated teamwork—and at the same time forms a strong foundation for the coming years of entrepreneurial thinking and action.
