JARA-ENERGY Director Prof. Antonello Monti receives UNIPRENEURS trophy
Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger presents award for commitment to spin-offs and entrepreneurship
Spin-offs, start-ups, young entrepreneurship - these have long been elementary areas of research and teaching. Ideally, the young founders receive the best possible support from their professors. JARA-ENERGY Director Professor Antonello Monti, together with Prof. Malte Brettel, has now been honoured with the prestigious "UNIPRENEURS" award for their commitment in this area. The Federal Minister for Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, together with Dr. Anna Christmann, the Federal Government Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Start-ups, presented the trophies at a festive evening in Berlin.
Professor Antonello Monti established his first startup in Italy in 1994. According to the jury's statement, he subsequently founded and supported startups in both the U.S. and Germany. “Translating research into reality is always very satisfying,” said Monti, holder of the Chair of Automation of Complex Power Systems. “And now we are delighted that our commitment is recognized.”
Out of the 700 nominated individuals, 20 personalities were selected to receive the award. Stark-Watzinger expressed her delight with the initiative: “We want to promote startup activities at our universities. Professors play a central role in this endeavor. They make a significant contribution to the startup culture at universities and thus are important drivers of Germany's innovative capacity and future competitiveness.”
Dr. Anna Christmann, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Startups at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, also praised the achievements of the awardees: “The professors honored with the UNIPRENEURS award embody the fruitful combination of academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit. Their services to the transfer of innovative technology to industry are invaluable for Germany as a hub of innovation and deserve the highest recognition possible.”
The award is presented in collaboration with partner organizations such as the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany and the German Startup Association.
A press release from RWTH Aachen University: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/die-rwth/Aktuell/Pressemitteilungen/September-2023/~bdjrlp/RWTH-Professoren-fuer-Engagement-bei-Aus/?lidx=1