Ecosystem
Our vision:
Transforming the Ruhr Region into Europe’s leading innovation hub
The BRYCK Startup Alliance unites science, industry, capital, and entrepreneurial spirit. Together with our partners, we are creating a unique ecosystem with the power to boost economic growth on both a regional and national scale.
We have been selected as an official Startup Factory by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the EXIST Lighthouse Competition.
From the industrial heartland of Germany, we are building Europe’s leading innovation hub for science-based Deep Tech startups — solving today’s challenges and setting the standards of tomorrow.
By 2030, we aim to achieve:
1.000
new spinoffs
200
scaling deep-tech startups
€1bn
in capital raised by startups
15.000
new jobs
Our approach
Our focus
Future topics that define tomorrow
We concentrate on three innovation verticals that fuel economic growth and societal progress. Each of them is shaping global transformation and offers vast potential for pioneering solutions and new business models. Within these future topics, we collaborate with our partners in innovation clusters that drive progress across companies and sectors.
FUTURE INDUSTRY
Automation, digital manufacturing, and new materials define the landscape of Future Industry. Thanks to its central location in Europe and its high density of industrial companies undergoing major transformation, the Ruhr Region is ideally positioned to advance next-generation production processes — with a strong focus on climate-neutral manufacturing.
FUTURE LIFE SCIENCE
Digital technologies are enhancing diagnostics and treatment methods, while new biotechnological approaches are revolutionising disease prevention and therapy. The Ruhr Region hosts a strong network of hospitals, research institutes, and companies. Its proximity to universities and specialised research centres creates ideal conditions for innovation in healthcare and biotechnology.
FUTURE CITIES
Rapid urbanisation calls for innovative solutions to make cities more liveable, efficient, and sustainable. This growing market is driven by advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G connectivity, and climate-friendly construction and energy technologies.
The Ruhr Region’s dense urban fabric offers vast potential for PropTech and smart city solutions.
Our industry partners
Our industry partners bring deep expertise, real-world insights, and global reach to the BRYCK Startup Alliance. From Energy and Chemistry to PropTech and Water Management, they drive transformation in key future sectors — creating tangible impact for people, business, and the planet.
Water
Energy
Chemistry
Prop Tech & Real Estate
Our core offerings
From first steps to full scale:
We structure our main programmes along the four key phases of the startup journey:
Education, Incubation, Acceleration, and Scaling.
While strong programmes for the early phases already exist at our partner universities, we have identified significant support gaps in two critical transitions:
» from incubation to acceleration
» from acceleration to scaling
Education & Inspiration
Engaging students and researchers in entrepreneurship
Incubation
Helping teams turn their ideas into successful businesses
Acceleration
Fast-tracking pilot projects and guiding startups through growth stages
Economic Success
Connecting startups with key customers, partners, and investors
Our support for Startups
A platform for innovation
- We are building a central hub where students, researchers, founders, investors, and businesses come together to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Startup & entrepreneurship programmes
- We provide hands-on support throughout every stage of the startup journey — turning early ideas into scalable success stories.
Funding & investment
- We open doors to capital by facilitating access to investors and creating meaningful investment opportunities within our network.
Corporate partnerships & co-innovation
- We foster collaboration between startups and established companies, unlocking synergies and co-creating solutions with real market impact.
A space for collaboration and growth
- From co-working areas to makerspaces, laboratories, and event spaces — we offer the infrastructure startups need to build, test, and grow.
High-impact events
- We organise events that amplify visibility, strengthen connections, and bring the ecosystem together — regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Join the transformation
A once-in-a-generation opportunity
The Ruhr Region has unique potential to lead the next wave of industrial transformation.
And the BRYCK Startup Alliance turns this vision into action.
Together, we are creating solutions that tackle global challenges, strengthen competitiveness, and secure lasting prosperity.
Why the ruhr region?
A unique concentration of universities, research institutions, and talent, offering unmatched potential for innovation
22 universities and colleges
The highest number of universities of any metropolitan area in Germany
248.000 students
The largest population of students in Germany
150 research and innovation centers
A launchpad for breakthrough ideas
A high industrial and corporate density with great market potential for deep tech startups
160.000 businesses in the Ruhr region
One-third of Germany’s “Hidden Champions” („Hidden Champions”) are based in North Rhine-Westphalia.
100 of these world-leading companies („Hidden Champions”) call the Ruhr region home
As Germany’s largest urban area and the fifth-largest in the EU, the Ruhr region is the ideal launchpad for startups looking to scale
53 cities with over 5 million people
A central location in NRW and Europe
Our network
Explore our networkInitiators
BRYCK
Since 2022, the innovation and startup center has provided support for more than 100 startups from 20+ countries. 80% of these startups seeking investment secured funding and 75% of these supported startups found new customers after graduating from BRYCK programs.
RAG-Stiftung
One of Germany’s largest foundations, RAG-Stiftung is backing the BRYCK Startup Alliance with up to €10 million in privately managed funding, paving the way for a new era of innovation.
University Alliance Ruhr
Home to 110,000 students and 14,000 researchers, Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and the University of Duisburg-Essen form the epicenter of Germany’s academic excellence.
Initiativkreis Ruhr
Bringing together over 70 leading companies and institutions, this regional business alliance is designed to build a thriving, sustainable, and future-ready Ruhr region.
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