Annual Report 2012 / 2013

What would you study today if you were a student
again at MUAS?
I‘d study electrical engineering or electronics. Maybe
physics. Something with concrete application in the
field of technology. Perhaps industrial engineering.
I actually think it‘s easier for an engineer to learn business
administration than for business students to learn
engineering!
What does innovation culture mean to you?
To me it‘s very important to have one‘s eyes open all
the time and be aware of the possibilities out there; to
think in terms of opportunities, not just about a particular
product or service that is supposed to stay static
forever. Wanting to create new things is key, although
‘new‘ doesn‘t have to mean fundamentally new. Great
innovations are often achieved by combining existing
things and processes.
Entrepreneurship is a concept popular in the US, and
perhaps a typically American mentality. What differences
do you see between German and US-style
entrepreneurship?
In the US there is more of a risk-taking culture, and
there‘s more venture capital. Here you might secure 3-5
million in start-up funding, whereas in the US the same
endeavour might get 10-20 million to work with. There
is more private investment, so you really have to make
some money or else. Over here the stakes are not as
high. In Germany there are public-private players like
the HTGF (HighTech Gründerfonds), Bayernkapital and
the EXIST programme run by the Ministry of Economic
Affairs. Many venture capitalists have gone away
because they ran out of money – the pack has been
thinned out I believe.
What do you see as the main issues concerning entrepreneurship
at MUAS over the next ten years?
There are two things that pose a bit of a challenge, but
are very important to me. First is that our start-ups grow
faster. We live in a global economy, thus business ideas
should not have merely local relevance; instead these
should have the potential to quickly catch on in other
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countries. Second is ‘intrapreneurship‘ within large
firms, making better use of research. Siemens for example
has 8,000 personnel working in general research.
They have such a treasure trove of information that has
not been capitalised on because nobody has come up
with business models to do so. I see a need for action
there.
Mr. Strascheg, a lot of things have changed, but is
there something that has not changed over the course
of the last ten years?
Yes, and that would be the positive attitude of the
MUAS Board of Directors. If we didn‘t get the kind of
support we do from them, our accomplishments would
not be the same. Professor Schick, Professor Kortstock
the Board Chairman, Professor Fritz and many others
have always shown great dedication. There‘s no oneway
street here; everyone gives a lot, and gets a whole
lot in return.