Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences (HHN) is a relatively young higher education institution in one of Germany's economically most dynamic regions. Entrepreneurship, responsible entrepreneurship, in particular, is one of HHN’s strategic objectives. In 2017, HHN founded Startklar, a central coordination unit with the mission to strengthen entrepreneurship at HHN and foster spin-offs. Since 2021, it has offered a Master in Entrepreneurship programme accredited by AACSB, an accreditation network of the best business schools worldwide. HHN and the Entrepreneurship programme are part of an entrepreneurial and innovative regional network that includes venture capitalists, consulting and mentoring offers, support from the city administration, start-ups, and established enterprises. The Master programme has already produced several promising startups. However, in an environment that offers attractive jobs for graduates, the programme manager sees a need to further develop methods to endow students better with competences and personality to start a business. According to Startklar, students benefit from learning about entrepreneurship even if they prefer a more secure career path. Some alumni return after years of employment to seek advice about how to realise a business idea.
Hochschule Heilbronn: building up a regional entrepreneurial network