SNI startup workshop “From Lab to Startup” Doctoral students from the SNI PhD gether with Mauricio Campos, the owner School generally work on questions of ba- of a consulting firm. As well as theoretical sic research, but these topics are often knowledge, Pekonen provided partici- only a short step away from innovative pants with practical experience. Two suc- applications. In mid-October, seven SNI cessful company founders shared their doctoral students gained insights into the insights, and the students developed their world of founding a startup at the “From own concepts for startups — generally Lab to Startup” workshop. Under the guid- based on their own research. Elizaveta At the workshop, Elizaveta Maksimo- ance of experts, they developed business Maksimova, from the team led by Profes- va impressed the jury with her clear ideas, learned about the key steps in sor Jonathan de Roo (Department of presentation and won the prize for the best pitch. founding a company, and presented their Chemistry), gave the best pitch and won ideas as part of a pitching competition. the jury over with her clear presentation. The coordinator of the SNI PhD School, Through this program, the SNI seeks Dr. Andreas Baumgartner, worked with to encourage SNI doctoral students to ex- “I further developed the academic Anna-Elina Pekonen from the Innovation plore alternative career pathways and ex- ideas from my dissertation project OfÏce of the University of Basel to develop amine practical applications of their re- and felt very comfortable thinking a new concept for the “From Lab to search. The workshop was a complete about the next step to founding a Startup” workshop, which is to be held success and will continue to support startup. The SNI Rhetoric Workshop on an annual basis going forward. In young researchers on their journeys in I attended last year really helped mid-October, Pekonen then hosted the the future. me deliver a convincing first installment of this workshop to- Report in SNI INSight: https://bit.ly/40OrE7r presentation.” Elizaveta Maksimova, SNI doctoral student at the Department of Chemistry of the Uni- versity of Basel and winner of the pitching competition “It was great to see how the participants developed their projects in a very short time period of just 1.5 days, resulting in an impressive outcome.” Anna-Elina Pekonen, Innovation Office, University of Basel The concept of the “From Lab to Startup” work- shop impressed both the participants and the course leaders. From now on, the workshop will be offered to a group of SNI doctoral students ev- ery year so that all members of the SNI PhD School experience these valuable insights into setting up a company once during their doctor- ate. (Image: A. Baumgartner, SNI, University of Basel) SNI Annual Report 2024 21