“GROW!”: Science Park Kassel Boosts Startup Growth in Northern Hesse

With GROW!, the Science Park—located on the campus of the University of Kassel—is closing a critical gap in startup support: Innovative startups need intensive guidance, especially during their launch and early growth phases, to expand their market position, secure financing, and establish sustainable business structures. This is exactly where the new program comes in.

 GROW! complements the existing startup ecosystem and simultaneously strengthens the existing advisory structures for startups in the North Hesse region. The funding initiative is also welcomed by the Science Park’s shareholders: 

“Especially in times of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and the energy transition, we need founders who drive innovation, create jobs, and optimally position our economy for the future. Through this project, Science Park Kassel is confirming its role as a strategic partner for innovative startups in Hesse and as a central hub for the startup community in North Hesse,” said Sven Schoeller, mayor of the city of Kassel.

At the project’s kickoff event, Matthias Nölke, Head of the Economic Affairs Department for the City of Kassel, emphasized: “Successful startups aren’t built on a good idea alone; what matters most is whether you can turn that idea into a viable business. That’s why startups need more than just capital. They need networks, exchange, practical knowledge, and places where innovation is conceived collaboratively. That’s exactly what GROW! delivers, and I find the approach of actively involving the founders themselves particularly important: A modern startup ecosystem thrives on collaboration, not on rigid programs.”

Prof. Dr. Rita Borromeo Ferri, Vice President of the University of Kassel, adds: “With GROW!, we are strengthening—through yet another project—the very bridge that has defined our university from the very beginning: the transfer of knowledge from research and teaching into practice. As a university that fosters entrepreneurship, we see it as our mission not only to help good ideas take shape but also to guide them through the critical growth phase.”

The project is funded as part of the Hesse Innovation Promotion program under the initiative “Projects to Increase Competitiveness and Motivation for Startup Founding” and is supported by the Kassel Region Economic Development Agency. The goal is to provide individual guidance to startup teams on their path to the growth phase and to strengthen their competitiveness in the long term.

“For a promising startup to become a sustainably successful company, it needs the right structures and a strong support system, especially during the early growth phase. GROW! addresses this need and supports young companies in further developing their business models, preparing financing, and establishing themselves sustainably in the market. This benefits more than just the founders themselves. Successfully growing startups create jobs, bring new ideas to the economy, and strengthen regional value creation. “With GROW!, we are therefore systematically expanding the startup and innovation infrastructure in Kassel and Northern Hesse,” explains State Secretary Dr. Johannes Loheide.

GROW! is based on a detailed needs assessment and dialogue with the participating startups and includes several modules, such as intensive workshops, C-level exchanges—that is, at the executive management level—and networking events.

For the Kassel region as a startup hub, the program—which is being implemented by the Science Park for the first time—represents a significant expansion of the regional innovation infrastructure: Growth-oriented startups receive ongoing on-site support even after their initial success in launching their businesses, thereby strengthening collaboration between startups, established companies, universities, and investors. The visit to Wiesbaden highlights the close collaboration between the Hessian Ministry of Economics, the Kassel Region Economic Development Agency, and Science Park Kassel in expanding the startup ecosystem in Kassel and North Hesse.

Further information on Science Park Kassel is available at www.sciencepark-kassel.de, and information on the GROW! program is available at www.grow-your-startup.de.