On 27 November 2024, the time had come: the first International Startup Night brought momentum to the PhD Journey at Montanuniversität Leoben. Under the motto ‘Pitch it or Ditch it’, the participants demonstrated their talent for improvisation and their sense of humour.
EURECA-PRO brings together international PhD students
This year, the International Startup Night was a special highlight of the five-day PhD Journey as part of EURECA-PRO. PhD students from our partner universities from all over Europe came to Leoben to take part in this intensive programme. During their time on site, they not only met mentors from their field of specialisation, but also attended exciting workshops held by our professors in the fields of Sustainable Materials and Carbon and Hydrogen, explored state-of-the-art laboratories and got to know the city of Leoben.
Creativity in fast-forward
The task was simple but challenging: each of the five teams had 10 minutes to conjure up a crisp and entertaining pitch from a random topic. The special thing? It wasn't about hard facts or ground-breaking business models, but about fun pitches - the focus was on having fun! The teams had to present their topics on stage with a maximum of four slides.
Spontaneity meets team spirit
From ‘Sock matching - a real thriller in the washing machine’ to ‘What cats really think’ - the random topics were as creative as they were absurd. But that was precisely the challenge: to develop a coherent and humorous story in a short space of time that engages the audience.
A successful evening with winners
After the presentations, the best pitch was honoured. The decision was not easy, as the teams delivered entertaining and original contributions across the board. In the end, one team was able to secure the title with its pitch, which shone with both creativity and stage presence.
Support from the professionals
The ZAT Leoben team was able to actively support the event. The team prepared the participants by giving a brief introduction to pitching. This meant that even those who were pitching in front of an audience for the first time felt confident and well prepared. However, the focus was always on having fun!
Feedback full of enthusiasm
The feedback from the participants? Positive across the board! The mixture of a relaxed atmosphere, teamwork and creative challenges made the evening a complete success. ‘It was great to leave the serious issues of everyday life behind and simply improvise,’ enthused one participant.
An event with added value
The International Startup Night proved once again how much fun pitching can be - especially when you have the freedom to look at things with a twinkle in your eye. It was not only a highlight of the PhD Journey, but also an inspiration for everyone who dares to go on stage next time and present their ideas (or funny ideas).
We say: Thank you to all participants and organisers - see you next time!
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