Together with the EUTOPIA team at TU Dresden and the boOst team, the Startup Factory for Central Germany, we at TUD|excite invite young scientists to contribute their technical and/or Business Administration and Economics expertise to our teams of inventors and develop product ideas and business models based on selected patents.

Over the course of a week, international and interdisciplinary teams work on new product ideas, use cases and business models based on selected patents from TU Dresden and other universities, the DRESDENconcept partners and universities from neighboring European countries Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Poland as well as the EUTOPIA network - right up to the final startup pitch.

What makes it special: Here, start-ups do not start with an arbitrary idea, but with real technologies and patents. This makes the format special in this form - and a rare opportunity for anyone who not only wants to understand technology-driven innovation, but also wants to help shape it themselves. Experienced scientists, entrepreneurs and experts from the TUD network support the entire process.

What can you expect?

• Work on real patents and technologies
• Interdisciplinary and international teams
• Exchange with inventors and scientists
• Input on idea generation, business model development and start-ups
• Coaching by experienced mentors
• Development of a concrete startup pitch
• Final presentation in front of an external jury
• Supporting program and networking

Date: 24-28 August, 2026

Location: Saxony/Lausitz

Costs: Participation in the program is free of charge.

Application Deadline: 20 May, 2026

You can apply for summer school via this form.

You can apply if:

• You are an early-career researcher (Master's graduate or about to graduate, doctoral student or postdoctoral researcher).
• You are a researcher with a technical or scientific background
• You are an economist with a background in business administration and generally interested in the topic of start-ups
• You are interested in developing innovative product ideas and promising business models in interdisciplinary, international teams.
• It is also possible to apply as a team of max. 3 people.
• The underlying patents and technologies come from areas such as: Environmental Protection, Material Science, MedTech/ BioTech/ LifeSciences, Sensortech/ Communication Systems, Agriculture/ Farming/ Natural Materials, Photophysics, Electronics/ Power Engineering

For more information about the summer school, visit the website HERE.