exist Advisory Board
The exist Expert Advisory Board was established on March 23, 2022. The 16 members of the board were appointed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). Prof. Dr. Friederike Welter has been reappointed as chair.
The advisory board will advise the regional startup networks on the development and implementation of their action plans and support the BMWK in the further development of overarching measures.
The term of the previous exist Expert Advisory Board ended with the conclusion of the last legislative session. Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Friederike Welter, the board did outstanding and dedicated work. Thanks to the expertise of the advisory board members, the exist program was able to be further developed in key areas. This applies in particular to the „exist-Potentiale“ guideline. Overall, the advisory board helped establish exist as a brand term for the promotion of innovative and science-based startups.
Prof. Dr. Friederike Welter
She is the chair of the exist Expert Advisory Board, president of the Institute for Small Business Research (IfM) in Bonn, and a professor at the University of Siegen.
Dr. Marie Asano
Dr. Marie Asano is currently an Investment Principal at the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in growth companies in the European bioeconomy. Previously, she was a Senior Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). Before beginning her professional career, she earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Universities of Liège and Bordeaux.
Daniel Breitinger
Daniel Breitinger leads Bitkom’s startup team. To strengthen the German startup ecosystem, he advocates for improved policy conditions and the networking of individual stakeholders. Previously, he handled public affairs and education policy issues at Bitkom. He studied European and political science and has worked in the German Bundestag as well as in the automotive industry.
Dr. Tanja Emmerling
Dr. Tanja Emmerling is a partner at High-Tech Gründerfonds and heads the Berlin office. Her areas of focus include AI, IoT, mobility and logistics, IT security, blockchain, and SaaS. She is active as a startup mentor and is committed to strengthening the role of female investors in the tech sector. Previously, she worked for a media company and served as Head of New Ventures Incubations in the B2B sector.
Andrea Frank
Andrea Frank is Deputy Secretary General and a member of the Executive Board at the Stifterverband. She is responsible for the Stifterverband’s programmatic direction in the areas of education, science, and innovation. Ms. Frank is a member of the University Council at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and serves as an expert reviewer for various programs at the federal and state levels.
Dr. Jens-Peter Gaul
Dr. Jens-Peter Gaul is Secretary General of the German Rectors„ Conference. Previously, he headed the EU Cooperation Office of the German Research Organizations (KoWi) and led the “Research Perspectives” division on the Executive Board of the German Research Foundation (DFG). He is particularly interested in the cooperative relationships between universities and their partners in the transfer of research results into practice.
Dr. Susanne Gewinnus
Dr. Susanne Gewinnus heads the Industry and Research Division at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). Previously, she was responsible at the DIHK for innovation and technology policy as well as fundamental issues of competitiveness.
Dr. Thomas Kathöfer
The former Secretary General of the German Rectors„ Conference served as Chief Executive Officer of the “Otto von Guericke" Association of Industrial Research Organizations from 2015 to April 2023. Together with partners from industry, academia, and government, the association is dedicated to promoting innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises.
Dr. Heiko Koepke
Dr. Heiko Koepke is the founder and managing director of PHYSEC GmbH and earned his Ph.D. from the Chair of Controlling at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB). He is an expert in business development, entrepreneurship, financial controlling, and innovation management. In addition to his role as managing director and mentor at the Cube 5 incubator at RUB, he is a board member of eurobits e.V.
Silvia Laimgruber, M.A.
Silvia Laimgruber has headed the Structural Programs Division at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) since March 2020. Prior to that, she was responsible at the FFG for funding academic spin-offs, establishing regional incubators (AplusB), and the Spin-off Fellowship, which supports researchers in bringing their startup ideas to life.