Present at this meeting were Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner, President of the University, Prof. Dr Lutz Göcke, Head of hike (University Incubator for Entrepreneurship), Christian Böduel, Head of the North Thuringia Regional Office of the Erfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Simone Rappe, tax consultant.

The main topic of the 2nd Start-up and Succession Forum is the generational change in small and medium-sized companies in northern Thuringia. The event will begin with a keynote speech by Sebastian Meier, Head of the Thuringian Centre for Start-ups and Entrepreneurship (ThEx), who will present the latest facts and figures on the start-up and succession scene. Christian Böduel emphasises: "I hope that the number of participants will exceed 100 this year."

Afterwards, participants will have the opportunity to take part in exciting workshops on the topic of company succession and exchange ideas with experts on site. Simone Rappe emphasises: "In our region, there is plenty of support for people who want to start a business."

The workshops are offered in two phases:

Season 1 (15:45) followed by season 2 (16:15):

• "Controlling taxes - legally secure in the future" - Simone Rappe (tax consultant) and Dr Eric Urzowski (notary)
• "Exploring funding opportunities - facilitating financing" - Kathrin Stracke-Wagner (Thüringer Aufbaubank) and Anja Höfner (Bürgschaftsbank Thüringen)
• "Fairly paid - fairly bought" - Susanne Glatz (Erfurt Chamber of Crafts) and Jörn Fröbel (Erfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
• "Structuring the complex - finding new solutions" - HIKE team, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences

After the workshops, there will be an opportunity to network and exchange ideas at themed tables, which will shed light on specific aspects of company succession, including financing/support, law and taxes, succession exchanges, company valuation and founding. A special highlight of the forum will be the new "Herzensgründer" format, in which founders will be interviewed and share their experiences.

Interested parties are cordially invited to register directly for the event and the workshops. Please contact the Nordhausen regional office of the IHK Erfurt on 03631 9082-0 by 9 November 2023 at the latest.

The start-up and succession forum is organised by the NUN Netzwerk Unternehmensnachfolge Nordthüringen. In addition to the North Thuringian savings banks and the Nordthüringer Volksbank, the network also includes the district trades associations, the Erfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the Simone Rappe tax consultancy. "Since this year, the NUV Nordthüringer Unternehmerverband has also been involved," adds Christian Böduel, who is delighted that another important regional player will be supporting the network in the future.

About the Founder and Successor Forum:

The Start-up and Succession Forum is an important platform for entrepreneurs in Northern Thuringia who are dealing with issues relating to business start-ups and succession. It offers the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts and to network in the region. The forum is organised in cooperation with various partners from business and education and is aimed at anyone interested in the topics of business start-ups and succession.

• Date: 13 November 2023
• Time: 15:00 to 18:30
• Venue: Lecture theatre 1, Building 19, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, Weinberghof 4, Nordhausen