Ogbogu Kalu

High Level Discussion: How Do You Like the Public Funding of Your Startup? A Conversation of the Roles and Responsibilities for State-funded Companies in Europe

Governments and public institutions invest billions in research and innovation every year. But how effective are these programmes in creating globally competitive companies?

• Panel

• Ogbogu KaluESMTOgbogu KaluDirector, Next Gen Computing Stream, Creative Destruction Lab Berlin, ESMTOgbogu Kalu is the Head of Natural Capital at DEEP, the Institute for Deep Tech Innovation at ESMT Berlin. He also serves as Director of Partnerships and Director of the Next Gen Computing stream at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Berlin. His work focuses on helping transform breakthrough technologies into impactful ventures by building the programmes, partnerships, and commercialisation pathways required to bring them to scale. Over the past decade, Ogbogu has worked at the intersection of engineering, leadership, and policy. His experience ranges from developing nanotechnology-enabled solutions and leading engineering and energy initiatives at Michelin to advancing national and international innovation initiatives. This includes supporting SPRIN-D, Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, in its €40 million Circular Biomanufacturing Challenge and advising the Government of Nova Scotia, Canada, on actionable pathways towards a sustainable, climate-resilient economy.
• Frane ŠesnićZagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER)Frane ŠesnićCEO, Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER)Frane graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split and completed his postgraduate specialist studies in Financial Institutions and Markets at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. He was appointed to the rank of Lecturer by the Rector’s Conference and regularly features as a speaker at numerous tech and entrepreneurship conferences. He is the initiator of several international events, including the Zagreb Connect startup conference and the Startup Europe Regatta—a conference specializing in sustainable greentech and fintech solutions. He established Startup Factory, Croatia’s first acceleration program, initiated Global Growth and Tech Transfer, and launched financial instruments for startup grants and investments. He actively works on connecting stakeholders across society to build a thriving startup ecosystem. Through ZICER, he leads the largest startup hub in the region.

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