The Upper Rhine Metropolitan Region is set to become a cross-border innovation hub: The new KTUR project (Knowledge Transfer Upper Rhine) will aim to explore and advance the innovative capacity and especially the financing of startups in the Upper Rhine region. To this end, the Chair of Entrepreneurship at RPTU, together with renowned partners from Germany, France, and Switzerland, has received funding of 2.5 million in EU for three years.

The financing of innovations and startups is critical to their success. The objective of the new project will be to research and promote the innovative strength and in particular the financing of startups in the Upper Rhine region. To this end the Chair of Entrepreneurship at RPTU, together with renowned partners, has receivedEU funding of 2.5 million euros for three years.

The project “KTUR2: Boosting trinational innovation” brings together science and business in order to mapping the region's innovation ecosystem, analyzing the needs of the different stakeholders and identifying existing challenges. The project also aims to strengthen cooperation between companies and science as well as lifelong learning across borders. Through the development of best practices, the Upper Rhine is to become an internationally visible lighthouse for innovations and startups while at the same time strengthening their funding.

“Our ecosystem already offers a lot of support for startups, but we showed in a study in 2022 that there is still a particular lack of venture capital in the region,” says RPTU project manager Prof. Dr. Dennis Steininger. He emphasizes the importance of the project: “We know from research that a lack of financial resources is one of the most important factors in the failure of innovation and startup projects. This project therefore marks a critical milestone in our joint efforts to better understand the financing of technological innovations and thereby strengthen and internationalize the startup ecosystem in the region.”

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About the Funding Program:

The KTUR2 project is supported by the Interreg VI Upper Rhine Program 2021-2027 and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). With a total budget of 5,682,940 euros, it represents a significant investment in the future of the region.

Further details on the project can be found on the program's website: https://www.interreg-oberrhein.eu/projet/ktur2-trinationale-innovation-vorantreiben/ 

KTUR² – Mid-Project Update: Connecting Research, Business and Innovation Across Borders

Mid-Project Update

Axis 1 – Access to R&D Resources and Infrastructure

• 13 Lab Visits enabled companies to gain first-hand insights into the expertise, technologies and facilities of regional research laboratories.
• A trinational matching process was established to connect companies with suitable scientific and technological partners according to their specific needs.
• Is your company looking to advance innovation? Contact the KTUR² project teams.

Axis 2 – Continuing Education

• Two cross-border workshops promoted exchange and networking among stakeholders in continuing education.
• A survey of companies in the Upper Rhine region identified the most in-demand skills in the healthcare and industrial sectors.
• Based on these findings, the KTUR² teams can now approach companies directly and present continuing education opportunities tailored to their needs.
• Would you like to support your employees in developing their skills? Contact the KTUR² continuing education teams.

Axis 3 – Entrepreneurship

• Through two editions of the Summer School, an Open Innovation Challenge, venture capital seminars, a soft-landing programme, podcasts and a Startup Fair, KTUR² promotes entrepreneurial skills and strengthens networking among regional innovation stakeholders.
• Further information is available on the KTUR² project website.

Axis 4 – Cross-Border Funding

• The KTUR² project teams have conducted a mapping of financing opportunities in the Upper Rhine region, alongside an analysis of financing needs and best practices, with the aim of establishing a trinational innovation fund.
• Numerous Venture Dates and the first Stakeholder Roundtable facilitated direct exchange among start-ups, investors and other stakeholders involved in innovation financing across the region.
• Are you planning to finance an innovative project? Contact the KTUR² project teams.