Regional President Thomas Schürmann officially handed over the funding approval to the consortium partners on 27 April 2026. The project is part of the "Regio.NRW – Transformation" funding call and is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The UDE contributes its academic expertise through Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann, Prof. Dr. Marc Eulerich and Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe. Further partners in the consortium are Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Kleve, EntwicklungsAgentur Wirtschaft Kreis Wesel and Duisburg Business & Innovation as the lead partner.

SMEs in the region will be supported through consultations, training programmes and pilot projects to help them adopt AI solutions and strengthen their long-term competitiveness.

Photo: Regional President Thomas Schürmann with Arslan Haider, Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann, Prof. Dr. Marc Eulerich and Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe (left to right) from the University of Duisburg-Essen. Source: Bezirksregierung Düsseldorf – Mediathek.

Through workshops and events, regional universities demonstrate concrete AI applications, transfer knowledge, and accompany companies through implementation, providing guidance that is practical, accessible, neutral, and scientifically grounded.

Co-financed by the European Union through the EFRE/JTF Programme NRW 2021–2027.

Throughout the lecture series, students become familiar with key concepts and theories for understanding AI companies and designing machine learning-based applications. The course addresses central questions such as: Do we really need AI? What problems can machine learning effectively solve? What is the current impact of AI on the economy, society, and ecology? How can AI be applied to new domains? And what role do humans play in shaping AI systems?

Building on fundamentals of information systems strategy and enterprise modelling, students reflect on how strategy and organizational design influence the ability of AI companies to create sustainable futures. The course particularly investigates the generative capacity of data, tools, and machine learning models, and covers topics such as bias in data and algorithms, explainability of AI, accuracy, sovereignty, (inverse) scalability, and model framing.

Throughout the module, students critically examine the sustainability impacts of both managerial and algorithmic decision-making, including effects on health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), and climate action (SDG 13).

Find more details about the course, schedule, and registration here.

Originally starting her research under Prof. Dr. Tobias Kollmann, Anna Pröpper completed her journey under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe. 

Her work represents a new intersection of Psychology and Entrepreneurship, challenging the dominant Silicon Valley narrative that every startup must strive to be a "Unicorn".

Beyond the Unicorn: A New Typology

Anna’s research, drawing on data from nearly 2,000 founders, introduces a fascinating new typology: The Startup Zoo. By analyzing founder ambitions—specifically regarding growth, ownership, and the balance between cooperation and competition—Anna identifies four distinct "animals" in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She thereby revisits existing typologies by reframing them not on past behavior alone, but on the ambitions of individual leaders, here founders.

The Unicorn: Driven by exponential growth and high competition; typically investor-funded, competitors are there to compete with.

The Horse: Achieves high growth similar to the Unicorn but prioritizes social cooperation over aggressive market "sharpness."

The Cow: Focuses on production, revenue, and sustainable ownership rather than a quick exit.

The Zebra: Prioritizes long-term linear growth and sustainable ownership in markets where cooperation is vital.

Why the "Startup Zoo" Matters
The core takeaway of Anna’s dissertation is a warning to investors and ecosystem builders: stop forcing "Cows" and "Horses" to wear fake horns. Anna’s findings suggest that when cooperative founders are forced into hyper-competitive, growth-at-all-costs models, it often leads to venture failure and a loss of economic diversity.

Continued Impact and Research

Anna’s work is already influencing the academic discourse on digital entrepreneurship and sustainable transformation. For those interested in a deeper dive into the data and methodology behind this typology, her research is detailed in the following publication:

Reference: Kollmann, T., & Pröpper, A. (2025). The Startup-Zoo: A Typology of Startups Based on the Ambitions of Their Founders. International Journal of Business, 14(2), 38-55.

In our Disruptive Innovation & Moonshot Design class at the Sustainable Innopreneurship, master’s students work directly with founders on real strategic challenges. As a partner startup, you bring your venture, your questions, and your ambitions — and student teams help you translate them into clear, actionable strategies.

Rather than theoretical case studies, students engage with real companies, real constraints, and real decisions. They apply a structured strategic management process to analyze your market environment, identify opportunities and risks, and develop concrete recommendations for positioning, growth, and long-term direction.

What students contribute

Throughout the semester, interdisciplinary teams support you with:

✔ Market, competitor, and stakeholder analyses
✔ Strategic positioning & value proposition refinement
✔ Scenario analysis to explore uncertain futures
✔ Identification of growth opportunities and risks
✔ Technology & knowledge transfer thinking (from innovation to market)
✔ Clear, actionable strategic recommendations

Especially for early-stage and technology-oriented startups, this process helps connect emerging ideas or research-based innovations with viable markets, customers, and business models.

You benefit from dedicated strategic thinking capacity, new perspectives, and evidence-based insights — while students gain authentic entrepreneurial learning experiences.

How collaboration works

We keep the time commitment focused and efficient:

• 1 day: Present your startup, challenges, and goals to the class (probably 17.04)
• 1–2 short check-ins: Online or in person (max. 60 minutes each) 
• Final presentation day: Attend student presentations and discuss results (13.07)

This structure ensures meaningful collaboration while respecting your time as a founder.

Who should participate?

We welcome:

• early-stage startups
• spin-offs and research-based ventures
• innovation-driven SMEs
• teams working on new products, services, or business models

If you are open to reflection, experimentation, and strategic thinking, you’ll be a great fit.

Interested in collaborating?

We would love to hear from you.

Contact us at:
Sustainable-Innopreneurship@ris.uni-due.de

Let’s shape your next strategic steps together.