Inventive Minds

The University of Zurich is part of a flourishing innovation ecosystem that has emerged in the last 20 years in and around Zurich. In that time, more than 100 UZH spin-offs and numerous start-ups have been founded, and around 300 licenses for scientific inventions have been granted. New products and business ideas are often based on university research and academic education. With the launch of its Innovation Hub, UZH has created a further catalyst for innovation, providing even more support for creative thinkers who want to start a business or market their invention.

But even with the best support in the world, setting up a company based on scientific research findings is a challenging adventure. The new UZH Magazin finds out what it takes to succeed, presenting a group of innovators all at different stages in their journeys. There’s the student dreaming of running her own company, a young molecular biologist in the process of starting a business, and finally the experienced entrepreneur who already has several companies under his belt. They explain what made them venture into new waters – from the safe haven of academia to the vagaries of the business world – and what is required to turn a great idea or a promising invention into a successful product.