Startup Agenda Berlin

Startup Agenda

With the Startup Agenda 2022-2026, Berlin is further expanding its position as one of the world’s most successful startup metropolises and setting new priorities for more diversity, sustainability and cooperation. Together with representatives of the startup ecosystem, the state has defined goals for the next four years.

The State of Berlin has commissioned the Core Group of the Berliner Startup Unit – consisting of the Senate Chancellery, Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Investitionsbank Berlin, Berlin-Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie and the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry – to jointly drive forward the implementation of the agenda and coordinate working groups in the five fields of action:

  1. Berlin – City of impact startups
  2. Berlin – City of enablement
  3. Berlin – City of talent
  4. Berlin – City of diversity
  5. Berlin – City of cooperation

The activities of the working groups can be followed in various ways:

  • For the public relations work of the working groups, the following tags from the fields of action are used: #CityOfImpact #CityOfTalent #CityOfDiversity #CityOfEnablement #CityOfCooperation combined with #Berlin.
  • Dates and events are published in the central calendar: https://www.digitale-hauptstadtregion.de/veranstaltungen veröffentlicht
  • Support services in the fields of action are published in a “Support Landscape” (e.g. Initiatives for women’s empowerment)

The Startup Agenda is continuously developed and actively supported by the working groups. The aim is to connect the ecosystem and the sub-ecosystems better and to set individual accents.

1. Berlin – City of impact startups

The State of Berlin will create an excellent startup and growth environment for impact startups in order to enable the contribution of startups to strengthening the sustainability and future viability of the economy.

The main idea of impact startup founders is not just growth and profit, they also want to make a contribution to greater ecological and social sustainability with their companies.

Exemplary activities of the WG Impact (as at November 2023):

Your contact

Christian Nestler
Chamber of commerce (IHK) Berlin
Christian.Nestler@berlin.ihk.de

Norbert Herrmann
Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises
Norbert.Herrmann@senweb.berlin.de

2. Berlin – City of enablement

The State of Berlin is driving forward the creation of a digital and modern administration by exploiting the potential of startups.

Startups are drivers of innovation. The public sector in particular can benefit from technological solutions, services and the creative approaches of many founders. GovTechs should therefore be actively involved on the path to digital and modern administration and their solutions should be brought together with the challenges of the state and state-owned companies.

Exemplary activities of the WG Enablement (as at November 2023):

Your contact

Christian Stigler
Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
Christian.Stigler@berlin-partner.de

Norbert Herrmann
Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises
Norbert.Herrmann@senweb.berlin.de

3. Berlin – City of talent

The State of Berlin will resolutely counteract the shortage of skilled workers and position Berlin as “the place to be”.

The shortage of skilled workers affects all qualification levels and hierarchy levels and is also slowing down the growth of startups. Just under 60 percent of Berlin startups missed out on growth opportunities in 2021 due to a lack of labor and skilled workers. There are fears of a decline in innovative capacity.

Exemplary activities of the WG Talents (as at November 2023):

  • Introduction of an attractive legal residence solution for scholarship holders willing to found a company (in particular the Berlin Startup Scholarship and EXIST Scholarship) in cooperation with the Berlin State Office for Immigration
  • Publication of personnel marketing offers on talent.berlin for better awareness of Berlin startups and their career and job offers
  • Exchange with other working groups that work on university topics to find ways to bring universities, graduates, alumni and startups into contact

Your contact

David Kremers
Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
David.Kremers@berlin-partner.de

4. Berlin – City of diversity

The State of Berlin will promote diversity in the startup ecosystem, especially female entrepreneurship.

The aim of the working group is to create and support diversity in order to ensure and expand equal opportunities and equal access to support services for everyone, as well as to promote the perception of entrepreneurship as a career option for everyone.

Exemplary activities of the WG Impact (as at November 2023):

Your contact

Sandra Thumm
Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR)
Sandra.Thumm@hwr-berlin.de

Marcia Schranner
Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
marcia.schranner@berlin-partner.de

5. Berlin – City of cooperation

The State of Berlin will strengthen the networks between the systems, expand cooperation and initiate joint activities so that Berlin becomes not only a startup and digital metropolis but also the German innovation capital.

There is great potential for innovation in the cooperation between startups, established companies, universities and research. In order to increase the innovation potential, it is important to look at systems comprehensively and to recognize and promote the mutual advantages in cooperation. Start-ups with innovative technologies and solutions can be drivers of innovation, but also benefit from the technical expertise of companies and universities as well as from growth incentives through customer or production relationships. This potential is to be leveraged through increased activities at the interface between the systems.

At the same time, it is important, together with the Startup Agenda stakeholders, to strengthen the framework conditions for successful collaborations such as financing and funding models, for example with Investitionsbank Berlin, or internationalization activities, for example with the Program for Internationalization.

Exemplary activities of the WG Enablement (as at November 2023):

Continuation and establishment of the “Industry meets * Startups” event series for targeted matching of startups, SME and science (such as the format on November 14 and 15, 2023)

Your contact

Madlen Dietrich (Berlin-Brandenburg Business Associations)
Madlen.Dietrich@uvb-online.de

Christina Lüdtke (Berlin Chamber of Commerce)
Christina.Luedtke@berlin.ihk.de

Download

  • Startup Agenda Berlin (in German)

    PDF-Document

  • Berlin Startup Report 23

    PDF-Document

  • Berlin Startup Report 22

    PDF-Document