Kai Peter Birke honored for his work in supporting startups

From among more than 800 nominations, 20 professors were honored by the UNIPRENEURS initiative for their outstanding commitment to entrepreneurship at universities. Kai Peter Birke, Professor of Electrical Energy Storage Systems at the Institute for Photovoltaics (ipv) at the University of Stuttgart and at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), is one of them.

Since 2000, Birke has been involved as a founder and partner in two spin-offs focused on lithium-ion cells with ceramic separators. He now holds 95 patent families in energy storage. As a mentor, he has supported and continues to support several University of Stuttgart spin-offs through the Technology Transfer Initiative (TTI GmbH), including Cyclize, EMECTRIC Tailored Batteries, and, most recently, Relionos. He is a co-founder of MAP Battery Tests GmbH, which also has its roots at the University of Stuttgart.

“I want to encourage people with good ideas to take the next step. For ideas to truly benefit the common good, we must consider their future applications right from the research stage. For me, that means looking beyond our usual perspectives and exploring new, perhaps unconventional paths,” says Birke.

The University of Stuttgart actively promotes entrepreneurship in research and teaching. Initiatives such as the TRACES Transfer Center and the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research (ENI) help researchers and students think entrepreneurially and bring their ideas to life through startup coaching, networking events, or interactive teaching formats. The university also maintains close ties with industry in order to advance technologies together. “If academia and industry work closely together, we can make a real difference for the energy transition or the transformation of industry,” says Birke.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Kai Peter Birke on this well-deserved award. The UNIPRENEURS Award not only recognizes his personal commitment but also exemplifies our goal of bringing interdisciplinary research and innovation to society. Through his dedication, Professor Birke is making a valuable contribution to a diverse startup culture at the University of Stuttgart,” says Prof. Alexander Brem, Vice Rector for Science Transfer and International Affairs.

On the afternoon of September 22, 2026, the awards were presented in Berlin. UNIPRENEURS is an initiative aimed at strengthening spin-offs at German universities. Every three years, it presents the highest award in Germany for outstanding commitment to entrepreneurship at universities. UNIPRENEURS is supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).