The Founding and Innovation Center of the University of Oldenburg (GIZ) serves as a central contact point for university employees and students across northwestern Germany who are interested in starting their own business. It offers professional advice, coaching, and further qualification opportunities to support them on their path to founding a start-up. The GIZ strengthens the University of Oldenburg’s commitment to developing a culture of entrepreneurial independence that is firmly embedded within the university’s structure. The aim is to become a start-up hub for students and researchers throughout Europe and to further contribute to an economic transformation in northern Germany.

In 2011, the University of Oldenburg participated in the “EXIST-Gründungskultur - Die Gründerhochschule” competition, which is organized by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). As a result, the University of Oldenburg was honored as one of the three best universities for business start-ups in Germany. This success allows the University of Oldenburg not only to further develop its previous work in supporting and promoting start-ups, but also to exude a vibrant culture of creativity and entrepreneurial independence throughout the university and surrounding region.