Since its inception in 2021, the ECN Conference has developed into a central meeting point for entrepreneurship activities at Austrian universities. More than 22 partner universities from all federal states were represented this year – a clear sign of the growing interest in promoting startups emerging from science and research.
Day 1: Insights into the Salzburg Startup Ecosystem
The first day of the conference focused on Ecosystem Learning. The host region of Salzburg showcased its vibrant startup ecosystem with fascinating insights into regional programs, partner initiatives, and best practices.
Startup Salzburg presented its comprehensive structure with six service points and programs such as Challenge the Status Quo, Shape, and Factory+ – formats that support founders on their journey from idea generation to market readiness. Nataša Deutinger, Head of Startup Salzburg, emphasized the approach of involving all universities and fostering a cross-regional mindset for innovation.
In the subsequent pitch format, representatives from academia and business presented their initiatives – including the University of Salzburg, Private University Schloss Seeburg, EdTech Austria, Innovation Salzburg, Raiffeisenverband Salzburg, WKO Salzburg, Salzburg AG, Silicon Castles, as well as several emerging startups such as Like2Camp, Polycular, Sproof, Augmenterra, and Aileen Health.
A panel discussion delved deeper into topics such as AI in healthcare, the acceptance of new technologies, venture capital, mentoring structures, and maintaining focus during the founding process. The discussions particularly highlighted the added value of cooperation between universities, companies, and public institutions – as well as the courage to seek early customer feedback and learn from setbacks.
Day 2: Collaboration and the Future of Unipreneurship
The second conference day – held in cooperation with the Spin-off Austria Conference – was dedicated to the theme “Collaboration in Action.” Various workshops and panels covered topics such as co-founder matching, entrepreneurship education, technology transfer, and university investment vehicles.
In his welcome address, Dr. Rudolf Dömötör (Director of the WU Entrepreneurship Center) highlighted how much the ECN Conference has evolved since its inception:
“Five years ago, we simply tried to see whether such a platform could work – today, the ECN Conference is an established fixture and a true family gathering of the unipreneurship community.”
Workshop results emphasized the importance of structured co-founder matching, targeted incentive systems for researchers, and the creation of “fast lanes” for university spin-offs. Raising awareness of entrepreneurship as a viable career path – particularly among PhD candidates and postdocs – was also identified as a key success factor.
Another program segment focused on the success factors of strong teams and the challenges of co-founder matching. In her inspiring talk “Why Startups Fail: The Collaboration Breakdown,” Elisabeth Raes demonstrated that many startup projects fail not because of technology, but due to team dynamics. A lack of clarity, differing mindsets, or poorly defined roles often lead to conflicts. With tools such as the Team Canvas, she shared concrete methods to help teams reflect on their structures, make shared values visible, and build a strong foundation for successful co-founder relationships.
“Truth above beauty – great teams are those that don’t avoid conflict but use it productively,” said Raes.
Afternoon & Evening with Spin-off Austria: Content, Tools – and a Whitepaper Launch
In the afternoon, the Spin-off Austria program added further thematic highlights. Following the Welcome & Intro, two keynotes addressed best-practice setups of TTOs and the current state of Austria’s spin-off efforts. A panel on new developments in spin-off creation bridged theory and practice, followed by three parallel workshops:
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NCP-IP Spin-off Checklist in Practice – successful negotiations between universities and founders,
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Spin-off Ecosystems – building blocks for sustainable success,
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Transfer Strategies at Universities – a practical workshop on implementation.
Afterward, the workshop results were presented, followed by a preview of the Rise Europe Playbook on sciencepreneurs. A particular highlight was the launch of brutkasten’s whitepaper “From Science to Business,” presented jointly with Spin-off Austria. The day concluded with the Gathering @ Living Room Salzburg – a perfect setting for in-depth discussions, new connections, and concrete next steps.
Conclusion: A Strong Network for the Future
The 5th ECN Conference in Salzburg was characterized by growth, collaboration, and a strong spirit of momentum. ECN has once again proven itself as a central platform for entrepreneurship at universities – a space for open exchange, new collaborations, and concrete initiatives.
The collaboration with Spin-off Austria was exceptionally smooth and enriching, once again demonstrating how effectively content and networks can interconnect when cooperation is practiced at eye level.
Looking ahead to 2026, when the conference will once again take place together with Spin-off Austria in Vienna, the motto remains unchanged:
Building bridges, creating synergies – this is what drives ECN.
