Please briefly introduce yourself and your current role. Who are you—and what excites you about your work today?
"I am Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger, co-founder and CEO of UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s largest center for innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as Vice President for Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich.
What motivates me is the enormous potential of students and researchers. When their inventive spirit meets the right conditions, it leads to companies that truly make an impact. In our ecosystem, more than 100 start-ups are founded every year—some grow into unicorns, meaning companies valued at over one billion euros. Examples include Celonis, Flixbus, Personio, and Isar Aerospace. It shows what’s possible."
Which experience from your studies still shapes you to this day?
"My time in student initiatives had a particularly strong impact on me. As a board member at EUROAVIA, I learned to take responsibility, drive projects forward, and truly make a difference as part of a team. Looking back, it was basically just as valuable as many of the lectures I attended."
Three words that describe your time studying at the University of Stuttgart.
"Discover. Learn. Experiment."
Which lightbulb moments from your career would you have liked to have had during your studies?
"That entrepreneurial thinking is not an “add-on,” but central to a successful engineering career. I wish I had gained that perspective earlier."
What was your first impression of the University of Stuttgart on your first day as a student?
"Very clear—and quite direct: this is a place where people are rigorously filtered out. During the first-year introduction, the dean at the time made it clear that many would not make it through to the interim diploma together. That really sticks with you."
Is there a book (or film/other medium) that has had a lasting influence on your professional or personal path?
"I regularly read Handelsblatt and The Economist. For me, they are essential for understanding developments, trends, and connections at an early stage."
What advice would you give to students who are about to graduate?
"Found a startup. Now. There is no better time to try out ideas and pursue your own path."
Your favorite place on campus?
"The Bauhäusle. It represents what can happen when students simply take initiative—creative, bold, and independent."
What would you like to see the university do moving forward?
"Have the courage to continue producing individuals who change things—like Gottlieb Daimler, Alfred Kärcher, Berthold Leibinger, or Karl Schlecht. These are exactly the kinds of pioneers we will continue to need in the future."
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