1.5 million euros for the Gateway DSHS Köln start-up centre
06/15/2026 | News
The State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the EU are funding the expansion of start-up support at the German Sport University Cologne until the end of 2028
The German Sport University Cologne is making a long-term commitment to strengthening its start-up support: as part of the ‘Start-up Center.NRW’ funding scheme, the Start-up Centre Gateway DSHS Köln is receiving around 1.5 million euros from NRW and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project began on 1 January 2026 and will run until the end of 2028.
With this funding, the German Sport University Cologne is further consolidating its position as a start-up-friendly university and strengthening its role as a supra-regional player for knowledge-based start-ups in the fields of sport, exercise, performance and health.
“The German Sport University Cologne has set itself the goal of establishing itself as a key supra-regional player and catalyst for knowledge-based start-ups in the fields of sport, exercise, performance and health,” says Prof. Dr Tobias Vogt, Vice Rector for Research and Transfer at the German Sport University.
“The Start-up Centre Gateway DSHS Köln project will make a key contribution to further developing the start-up culture at the university and embedding it sustainably in the mission statement and structures of the German Sport University Cologne,” adds Dr Anja Chevalier, project manager and head of the Department for Transfer and Start-ups and of the Gateway DSHS Köln.
A new space for innovation and entrepreneurship
A key component of the project is the creation of a ‘Space for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, which will be established on the library premises in collaboration with the Zentralbibliothek der Sportwissenschaften (ZBSport), the Central Library of Sports Sciences. It will be open to all members of the university community as well as interested members of the public.
“Today, libraries are far more than just places providing access to knowledge. They are key spaces for interaction, exchange and the joint development of new ideas on campus. With the planned ‘Space for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, we are creating a place where learning, creativity and start-up culture come together, enabling innovative projects in sports science to emerge,” says Sarah Dudek, Head of ZBSport.
The space combines expertise in sports science with entrepreneurial thinking and provides a setting for creative exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration and the development and testing of new ideas. In addition to co-working spaces for start-up teams and university staff, the plans include a digitally oriented makerspace with modern prototyping infrastructure, including 3D printing technologies, innovative teaching equipment (e.g. LEGO® SPIKE), as well as equipment for podcasts and cameras, and other materials from the former media workshop. The whole initiative is complemented by a training programme covering, amongst other things, prototyping and innovative teaching and learning methods.
Strengthening networks and jointly developing start-up support
Furthermore, in collaboration with the Communications and Marketing department, the Sports University’s alumni and partner network is being systematically expanded to create a fertile ground for knowledge-based spin-offs from sports science and collaborations with the professional world.
The motto “Together we are stronger and can achieve more” is also reflected in the collaboration within the Gateway network of Cologne’s universities. Cologne’s largest universities have joined forces to support start-ups in Cologne under the “Gateway” brand and the motto “Make Ideas Work”. The universities operate a joint, cross-institutional ‘Start-up Journey’ programme, which guides and supports the start-up process from the initial idea through to company formation and financing.
As part of the Start-up Centre.NRW funding programme – from which TH Köln has also received funding – the cross-university support services for knowledge-based spin-offs will be further expanded over the coming years, and the Gateway and alumni communities will be further strengthened. The Gateway universities in Cologne are thus working together with local stakeholders – such as the business development agency, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the savings banks and many others – to foster a strong start-up ecosystem in Cologne and promote innovations from the fields of (sports) science.
About the project
The Gateway DSHS Köln Start-up Centre is being funded until the end of 2028 as part of the ‘Start-up Centre.NRW’ funding competition by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as the Europäische Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (ERDF/JTF Programme NRW 2021–2027), with funding of around 1.5 million euros until the end of 2028. The Start-up Centre Gateway DSHS project team comprises Dr Anja Chevalier (project lead and head of the Department for Transfer and Start-ups and of Gateway DSHS Cologne) and Dr Sophia Haski (Start-ups), Britta Paulzen (Alumni & Networking), Dr Pavana Lakshmi Vaddavalli (Innovation & Transfer) and Saskia Koll (Marketing & Communications).
Gateway DSHS Köln Start-up Centre
Contact
Anja Chevalier
Head of the Transfer & Start-up Department