“Over the past five years, SPRIND has developed into a beacon for ground-breaking innovations in Germany. Many of the projects supported and co-financed have the potential to produce internationally competitive technologies. This is precisely what matters today more than ever. We must do a better job of closing innovation gaps, because it’s about more than just the business ideas of the day after tomorrow. Trump’s tariff threats and China’s grab for global markets, including in high-tech, are a wake-up call for Germany and Europe. If we as Europeans want to maintain our prosperity under the changed circumstances, we must first and foremost build up a technological lead. SPRIND is a successful example of how this can work. We want to make intensive use of this opportunity for Saxony, where there is still comparatively little private venture capital waiting for ideas. This is why we are closely integrating Leipzig-based SPRIND into our local innovation system.”
SPRIND’s successes include the establishment of a network between start-ups, research institutions and industry, the acceleration of innovation processes through unbureaucratic financing models and, last but not least, successful support for projects in the fields of sustainable technologies, AI and biotechnology.
The budget has more than quadrupled to around 220 million euros since 2021. Projects with breakthrough innovation potential are being driven forward in more than a dozen subsidiaries. Ten innovation competitions, known as challenges, have been launched so far, some of which are still ongoing. Highly specialized teams compete with each other in the search for the best solution to important technical and social problems.
Rafael Laguna de la Vera, Founding Director and Managing Director of SPRIND: “We are delighted about the exchange with the Saxon Minister of Economic Affairs, Dirk Panter. Innovations should not only make people’s lives better; innovations are also the basis for new companies and industries that secure our future prosperity. In order for innovations to get out of the laboratory and into the world and have a positive impact, the gears of science, politics and business must mesh. Semiconductor technology and industry is certainly the most outstanding example in Saxony of the successful transfer of scientific excellence into value creation and prosperity. Saxony also has outstanding expertise in other future technologies such as environmental technology and chemistry.”
SPRIND is cooperating with Saxon start-ups such as TechiFAB and Semron, which are working on innovative semiconductor components that can be used for AI. The Leipzig-based company enadyne is developing new processes to extract raw materials for the chemical industry from carbon dioxide. The Dresden-based company GICON is building the world’s tallest wind turbine with a hub height of 300 meters on behalf of SPRIND in Klettwitz, which will go into operation this year.
Background
A leap innovation is an innovation that changes our lives for the better in the long term. It can create a completely new market, change an existing market so fundamentally that a completely new ecosystem is created, or solve a massive technological, social or ecological problem.
For a year now, work has been carried out on the basis of the SPRIND Freedom Act, which was supported from Saxony. This has further improved the framework conditions for SPRIND, enabling the agency to provide independent, fast and tailored support. Initial experience shows that the law has significantly increased innovative strength by allowing SPRIND to launch projects more quickly and provide targeted support.
– – – – – –
Further links
👉 www.smwa.sachsen.de
Photo: SPRIND
