TU Berlin

Technical University of Berlin

The Centre for Entrepreneurship is the flagship of technology transfer at TU Berlin. Its mission is to translate innovative research ideas into real-world applications for the benefit of society. Under one roof, the center integrates entrepreneurship research and education with services for researchers, students, and staff interested in technology transfer and startup creation.

At the intersection of academia, industry, and startups, the Triple Impact approach—economic, social, and environmental entrepreneurship—is taught, researched, and implemented in practice.

Annual StarTUp Day: "Design Thinking and How to Tackle the Sustainable Development Goals"

The "Design Thinking and How to Tackle the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" workshop focused on introducing participants to design thinking principles and methods, specifically in the context of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this creative and iterative process, participants learned how to systematically address complex sustainability challenges and develop innovative solutions.

The workshop began with an introduction to the 17 SDGs and their significance in tackling global issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. This was followed by an overview of the Design Thinking process, including its five key phases:

1. Empathize – Understanding the needs of users and stakeholders
2. Define – Clearly articulating the problem statement
3. Ideate – Brainstorming creative solutions
4. Prototype – Developing tangible concepts
5. Test – Refining solutions based on feedback

Participants worked in teams to identify real-world problems linked to specific SDGs and applied design thinking methodologies to develop creative and actionable solutions.

Through hands-on exercises and interactive sessions, participants gained practical experience in problem-solving, developed empathy for users and stakeholders, and learned to define challenges and design feasible solutions that contribute to achieving the SDGs.

The workshop aimed not only to raise awareness of global sustainability challenges but also to empower participants with the skills and confidence to act as changemakers within their organizations and communities.

‍

‍