Helmut Schönenberger passionately advocates for Europe’s potential as a global innovation leader by leveraging its talent, engineering legacy, and collaborative spirit.
Reflecting on his journey from studying at Stanford to co-founding UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s most successful startup incubator, he emphasizes how adopting Silicon Valley’s innovation principles helped transform Munich into one of the world’s top startup hubs.
“We should talk much more about opportunities, not about what the others do and all the risks”, he demands. “We are great engineers, great computer scientists. There’s so much knowledge around and we should tap into this.”
Pointing to world-leading European companies like SAP, ASML and Airbus, Schönenberger highlights a new wave of visionary startups emerging in fields like fusion energy, aerospace, and quantum technology.
To make the most of its opportunities, Europe should focus on unlocking talent, investing in promising startups, and reducing regulatory barriers, Schönenberger argues. “Let’s put our money where the opportunities are”, he says, “and focus not on risk minimization, but on innovation support.”
