The district of Munich has always been a place of big and small innovations. In the so-called future atlas, which describes the “top prospects for the future” of all German districts and urban districts, the district is regularly in first place. Creative start-ups such as the Unterschleißheim brewery Crew Republic contribute to this, as do the developers at the global corporations Airbus in Ottobrunn or Infineon from Neubiberg – and of course the four existing start-up centers in which the district is involved. A quick overview.
Biotechnology innovation and start-up center in Martinsried
The oldest start-up center in the district of Munich is located in the Planegger district of Martinsried – visible from afar and now a symbol of this high-tech location is the residence hotel with its striking facade. Otto Wiesheu (CSU), then Bavarian Science Minister, laid the foundation stone for the Biotechnology Innovation and Start-Up Center (IZB) in Martinsried in 1995. Shortly thereafter, it was opened and the first four tenants moved in. Since then, it has been expanded in several construction phases – also in the face of ongoing protests from the population about high rents, the construction work and the lack of a subway connection. Today, the IZB is part of the Martinsried campus, which also includes the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and Neurobiology. On around 26,000 square meters, more than 700 employees are researching new drugs for serious diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s at almost 50 start-ups and companies. The start-ups also benefit from the proximity to science, society, research institutions, the Großhadern Clinic or pharmaceutical companies. In addition to the hotel, the infrastructure also includes day-care centers and a restaurant. The IZB offshoot in Weihenstephan in the district of Freising, a competence cluster for life sciences, has existed since 2007.
Factory 1 in Berg am Laim
The digital future is being worked on in the Werk1 start-up center in the former Pfanni factory at Munich Ostbahnhof.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The digital future is to be shaped where potatoes were once processed at the Pfanni company: in the Werksviertel in Berg am Laim at Munich Ostbahnhof, more precisely in Werk1. The start-up center in Munich’s new creative district, in which the Munich district has a stake, advertises that it is “the most start-up-friendly place in Munich”, a place where the start-up scene works on the business models of the future. In Werk1, work is being done on digital projects in open and bright rooms on a little more than 2500 square meters, there is a coaching program for young founders, and events are held here regularly. The start-up Delicious Data, for example, uses artificial intelligence to avoid excess food in restaurants or bakeries, Nilo deals with mental health in the workplace and B42 is about state-of-the-art training for football teams. More than 20 start-ups are at home in Werk1, anyone who has been here for two years then becomes an alumni and has to move out – this will free up space for new innovative founders.
Accelerator Community Unterschleissheim
The Accelerator Community is based at the Business Campus Unterschleißheim (the canteen in the picture).
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The district of Munich is also a shareholder in the Accelerator Community Unterschleißheim (ACU), which is based in the most populous city in the district on the local business campus. The manufacturing industry hardly plays a role here, rather the start-ups here are primarily dedicated to the area of digital transformation – under the motto Open Innovation, Open Talents, Open Market Access. The start-up center advertises that it is a haven of creativity and that it has modern co-working spaces, contacts to representatives from industry and practice, and access to well-developed networks. The fact that the areas of Smart City and Smart Industry are also lived out here should be in the spirit of the city.
Gate in Garching
The gate in Garching benefits from its proximity to the university.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
Where could a start-up center fit better than at a university location – or at the largest of the Technical University of Munich (TU). The Garchinger Technologie- und Gründerzentrum (Gate) has been in the university town since 2002 and has supported more than 300 start-ups since it was founded. And the proximity to the university pays off, the transfer of knowledge is ongoing. On around 5000 square meters, solutions are being worked on here, especially in mobility. Artificial intelligence is just as much at home here as big data and start-ups in the field of mechatronics, information and communication technology. More than 30 young companies have rented space here at very favorable conditions – for Munich and the district. The starter office only costs around 300 euros a month. The gate fits perfectly into the Garching campus with its almost 8,000 employees and more than 17,000 students – and the proximity to cutting-edge research also pays off.