Second AUFBRUCH Winter School

The AUFBRUCH project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) as part of the structural change in the Rhineland region, was launched in April 2024.
In October 2025, the second AUFBRUCH Winter School took place, bringing together Alina Tauriainen and the other AUFBRUCH PhD candidates at Haus Overbach in Jülich for two and a half days of workshops and exchange.
During the first two days, Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES) led an entrepreneurship workshop, in which the PhD candidates explored how to leverage research data, identified potential patent topics, and reflected on their innovation skills. On the afternoon of the second day, the group worked on the AUFBRUCH Revier Challenge, developing start-up ideas based on case studies from the Rheinisches Revier and creating Lean Canvas models. The day concluded with a pitch round in which a winning team was selected.
On the final day, talks from PIs and guest speakers offered a “look into the future”. A poster session showcased the PhD candidates’ research results and further internal meetings supported interdisciplinary exchange across innovation areas.
The Winter School once again provided a valuable platform for collaboration, creativity, and cross-disciplinary dialogue.




