Catalyst Programme Launched: The First Step is What Counts

The kick-off made one thing clear: it is not about knowing all the risks in advance or finding the one right path. It is about starting, trying things out, and developing your own way step by step. Personal insights from Prof. Alexander Brem, Vice-Rector for Transfer and International Affairs, and Dr. Rubina Zern-Breuer, Head of TRACES, who both shared their own experiences of taking bold steps, brought this message to life in a compelling way. A subsequent panel discussion with Markus Götz, Johanna Adams, Katharina Schäfer, and Marcel Fortwingel deepened the practical perspectives.

For students and researchers, this represents an important shift in mindset: those who found a venture grow into the process — not the other way around. Ideas don't need to be perfect, but they do need a first step. The TRACES Entrepreneurship Team is there to help — from initial orientation through to concrete implementation.

TRACES would like to thank Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS) for their collaboration and the inspiring setting, as well as Sebastian Donath, Julian Jantke, and Josef Pinter for the planning and execution of the kick-off.