Start-ups are considered key drivers of the energy transition. A study conducted by the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Münster and Fraunhofer FFB now shows that battery start-ups tend to emerge primarily in areas where technological expertise is essential but capital requirements remain manageable. Prof. Dr. David Bendig, Head of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and one of the study’s authors, therefore recommends start-up support in this field that “also takes the path towards industrial scaling into account.”

Start-ups gelten als Treiber der Energiewende. Eine Studie des Instituts für Entrepreneurship der Universität Münster und der Fraunhofer FFB zeigt nun: Batterie-Start-ups entstehen vor allem dort, wo technologisches Know-how gefragt, der Kapitalbedarf aber noch beherrschbar ist. Prof. Dr. David Bendig, Leiter des Instituts für Entrepreneurship und einer der Autor:innen der Studie, empfiehlt daher für diesen Bereich eine Gründungsförderung, die „den Weg in die industrielle Skalierung mitdenkt“.

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For the third time, the Women in Finance event of the Finance Center Münster (FCM) brought together female students, academia, and industry for an inspiring afternoon filled with valuable conversations, honest insights, and meaningful connections. The programme included a workshop led by coach Brandi Bridges, as well as presentations by research staff from the FCM and by industry partners from NRW Bank, Finanz Informatik and zeb.

Zum dritten Mal brachte das Women in Finance Event des Finance Centers Münster (FCM) Studentinnen, Wissenschaft und Praxis zusammen - für einen Nachmittag voller Inspiration, ehrlicher Einblicke und wertvoller Gespräche. Das Programm umfasste u.a. einen Workshop von Coachin Brandi Bridges sowie Vorträge von den wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiterinnen des FCM und von Praxispartnern der NRW Bank, Finanz Informatik und zeb.

In May, the new research project “SynDIKAT” was launched. The acronym stands for “Synthetic Disinformation Data, Infrastructure for Collaboration and Analysis Toolbox for Social Media Research”. Funded for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the collaborative project focuses on disinformation in social media. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Christian Grimme, Janina Lütke-Stockdiek, and Michael Vogt from the Department of Information Systems, as well as Prof. Dr. Thorsten Quandt, Malin Zoe Richter, and Paula Philine Jung from the Department of Communication at the University of Münster. Additional partners include GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, the Center for Advanced Internet Studies, and TU Dortmund University.

Im Mai ist das neue Forschungsprojekt „SynDIKAT“ („Synthetische Desinformationsdaten, Infrastruktur für Kollaboration und Analyse-Toolbox für die Social Media-Forschung“) gestartet. Das vom Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) für drei Jahre geförderte Verbundprojekt beschäftigt sich mit Desinformation in sozialen Medien. Verantwortlich für das Projekt sind Prof. Dr. Christian Grimme, Janina Lütke-Stockdiek und Michael Vogt vom Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik und Prof. Dr. Thorsten Quandt, Malin Zoe Richter und Paula Philine Jung vom Institut für Kommunikationswissenschaft der Universität Münster. Weitere Partner sind das GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, das Center for Advanced Internet Studies und die TU Dortmund.

Once again this year, the MLP AlumniUM WiWi Cup was a sporting highlight at the School of Business and Economics. On 3 June 2026, 24 highly motivated teams competed against one another in a total of 80 matches at the faculty’s internal football tournament, creating a thrilling atmosphere, showing great commitment and generating a fantastic atmosphere on the pitches of 1. FC Gievenbeck. Following an intense group stage and thrilling final rounds, the team from the Münster Stock Exchange once again emerged victorious.

Auch in diesem Jahr war der MLP-AlumniUM-WiWi-Cup ein sportliches Highlight an der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät. Am 3. Juni 2026 traten 24 hoch motivierte Teams beim fakultätsinternen Fußballturnier in insgesamt 80 Spielen gegeneinander an und sorgten auf den Plätzen des 1. FC Gievenbeck für Spannung, großen Einsatz und beste Stimmung. Nach einer intensiven Gruppenphase und packenden Finalrunden konnte sich am Ende erneut das Team des Münsteraner Börsenparketts durchsetzen.

The 11th cohort of the Master's programme in Accounting and Auditing was celebrated at a graduation ceremony held in the ceremonial hall of Münster Castle on 4 July 2026. The programme directors, Prof. Dr. Kajüter and Prof. Dr. Nienhaus, presented the graduates with their master's certificates in the presence of their families and friends and congratulated them on the successful completion of their studies.

Mit einer feierlichen Absolventenfeier in der Aula des Schlosses Münster wurde am 4. Juli 2026 der 11. Jahrgang des Masterstudiengangs Accounting and Auditing verabschiedet. Die Studiengangleiter, Prof. Dr. Kajüter und Prof. Dr. Nienhaus, überreichten den Absolventinnen und Absolventen im Beisein ihrer Familien sowie Freundinnen und Freunde ihre Masterurkunden und gratulierten ihnen herzlich zum erfolgreichen Abschluss ihres Studiums.

The Student Council of the School of Business and Economics once again presented the annual Teaching Awards on behalf of the students. The awards recognize courses that stand out through outstanding commitment, high teaching quality, and a lasting contribution to students' academic success.

In the study programs Business Administration, Economics, and Information Systems, three courses from both the bachelor's and master's programs were nominated. From these nominations, the Teaching Award Committee selected this year's award recipients. Since 2010, the Teaching Awards have honored lecturers who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to excellent teaching. The award ceremony took place as part of the graduation celebration organized by the Student Council.

Awards for Information Systems:

• Bachelor: Dr. Lea Püchel & Ronja Dobler – Resource Overshoot Day 2.0 – Further Development of a Sustainability Tool for the University of Münster
• Master: Prof. Bernd Hellingrath – Supply Chain Management

Further nominations:

• Bachelor:Dr. Shariga Sivanathan – Digital Future Challenge
• Bachelor: Dr. Jens Lechtenbörger –  AIlaborate - Learnweb as a Personal Learning Environment for Students
• Master: Prof. Benedikt Berger – Exploring the Capabilities and Limits of AI Agents
• Master: Prof. Bernd Hellingrath & Prof. Luiz Felipe Scavardo do Carmo – Supply Chain Logistics Management

Congratulations to all nominees and award recipients on this well-deserved recognition!

The SMARD-GOV research project investigates how large language models (LLMs) can support decision-making processes in public administration in a secure, privacy-preserving, and legally compliant manner. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and is jointly carried out by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the University of Münster, and PROSOZ Herten GmbH.

Over the past months, the project has generated new insights and presented its research findings at several academic and professional events.

As part of the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference in Brussels, the University of Münster organized an interdisciplinary workshop on data accuracy in LLMs. Together with journalist Martin Bernklau, legal expert Constantin Lessmann (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) and computer scientist Kristina Magnussen (University of Münster) discussed the risks of inaccurate AI-generated statements about individuals, the legal requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and current technical challenges. The workshop highlighted the continued need for research to develop trustworthy, privacy-preserving AI systems.

At the end of June, Johannes von Ivernois (University of Münster) participated in a hackathon organized by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) to further develop the project "Faster Planning and Implementation through AI (SPARK)" in Berlin. As SPARK shares several thematic overlaps with SMARD-GOV, the event provided valuable opportunities to gain new insights for the project's research while contributing SMARD-GOV's findings to the further development of SPARK.

At the MEMO Conference at the University of Münster, Prof. Tobias Brandt presented initial findings from interviews and a pilot experimental study. The results were discussed with experts from public administration, fostering an exchange on current challenges and opportunities related to AI-supported administrative processes.

In addition, the SMARD-GOV team organized two expert workshops addressing the question: "How can LLMs be integrated into administrative procedures in a legally compliant way?". The workshops were aimed at stakeholders from the municipal sector and provided insights into initial project results while facilitating discussions on legal and technical challenges.

Research Partners Wanted

SMARD-GOV is currently looking for research partners from public administration to support the further development and validation of reliable and privacy-preserving AI systems. Real-world application data is needed to evaluate the developed approaches under practical conditions. Partners will gain early insights into project results while contributing to the development of privacy-preserving and legally compliant AI solutions for public administration.

Interested in collaborating? Contact the SMARD-GOV project team: Constantin Lessmann (constantin.lessmann@fau.de). 

The Universitätsgesellschaft Münster (University Society of Münster) has honoured Dr Colin Schulz from the Institute for Entrepreneurship with this year's Research Award. The award recognises his outstanding academic achievements, particularly his research into how companies—especially at the top management level—respond to technological and environmental change and develop forward-looking innovation and transformation pathways.

Die Universitätsgesellschaft Münster hat Dr. Colin Schulz vom Institut für Entrepreneurship mit dem diesjährigen Förderpreis ausgezeichnet. Damit würdigt der Verein die besonderen Leistungen des Wissenschaftlers, zu dessen Forschungsschwerpunkten die Frage gehört, wie Unternehmen insbesondere auf der Top-Management-Ebene auf technologische und ökologische Veränderungen reagieren und daraus zukunftsgerichtete Innovations- und Transformationspfade entwickeln.

In May, the new research project “SynDIKAT” was launched. The acronym stands for “Synthetic Disinformation Data, Infrastructure for Collaboration and Analysis Toolbox for Social Media Research”. Funded for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the collaborative project focuses on disinformation in social media.

The project develops approaches for the privacy-compliant sharing and generation of synthetic social media data using large language models (LLMs) and agent-based simulations. Its main focus is on methodological questions in disinformation research.

According to the researchers, one central problem is the lack of shared social media datasets. As a result, methods for detecting and combating disinformation can currently only be compared and evaluated to a limited extent. SynDIKAT therefore aims to enable legally compliant data sharing and improve the evaluation of relevant algorithms for pattern and anomaly detection.

The project is led by Prof. Dr. Christian Grimme, Janina Lütke-Stockdiek, and Michael Vogt from the Department of Information Systems, as well as Prof. Dr. Thorsten Quandt, Malin Zoe Richter, and Paula Philine Jung from the Department of Communication at the University of Münster. Additional partners include GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, the Center for Advanced Internet Studies, and TU Dortmund University.

Links related to this news
BMFTR SynDIKAT

Press release from the University of Münster

Es ist gute Tradition an der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät, die letzte Vorlesung von Professor:innen vor dem Ruhestand zu "stürmen" und so deren Verdienste gemeinsam mit Kolleg:innen, Familie und weiteren Wegbegleiter:innen zu würdigen. Im Juli war es bei Prof. Dr. Thomas Apolte, Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Ökonomische Politikanalyse, so weit. Nach einem kurzweiligen Programm bedankte sich Thomas Apolte sichtlich bewegt bei den Anwesenden. Sein Fazit: „Es war schön.“ 

As part of the doctoral graduation ceremony of the School of Business and Economics on 8 July 2026, 15 early-career researchers successfully completed their doctoral studies. The doctoral certificates were ceremonially presented by the Dean of the School, Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer, in the historic setting of Münster University Schloss.

Im Rahmen der Promotionsfeier der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät am 8. Juli 2026 haben 15 Nachwuchswissenschaftler ihre Promotion erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Die feierliche Übergabe der Doktorurkunden erfolgte durch den Dekan der Fakultät, Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer, im festlichen Ambiente des Schlosses der Universität Münster.

This year, the Student Council of the School of Business & Economics once again presented its Teaching Awards on behalf of the student body. The awards recognize courses distinguished by exceptional commitment, outstanding teaching quality, and a lasting contribution to students' academic success.  The awards were presented during the Graduation Ceremony, which was also organized by the Student Council.