Quantum Leipzig #7 - The German Quantum Ecosystem: From Munich to Leipzig

The German Quantum Ecosystem: From Munich to Leipzig

Germany is building one of the world's most serious quantum ecosystems, and this talk brings two of the important people shaping it from the inside directly to Leipzig.
On one side: the man helping turn TUM research into deep-tech companies.
On the other: A founder who came from academia, built a cryogenics startup from scratch, and is now providing the cooling backbone for the second quantum revolution. Together, they'll paint a picture of what quantum in Germany actually looks like — the ambition, the friction, and the opportunity.

This isn't a lecture. It's a conversation.

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💡 What to expect
Christopher Trummer — Managing Director at TUM Venture Labs Quantum/Semicon- has spent years at the intersection of physics, Strategy, and Munich Quantum Valley. He's the person researchers go to when they have an idea and don't know what to do with it. He'll talk about what it takes to turn a PhD topic into a fundable company, how Europe's most active quantum startup hub actually operates, and what opportunities are still wide open.
Dr. Tomek Schulz — Co-Founder & COO of kiutra GmbH — did the research-to-startup journey himself, and the start raised a total of €30 million in private and public funding. kiutra builds cryogen-free cooling systems using Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration, the only alternative to helium-3-based cooling in the world. They're not just any startup — they're critical infrastructure for quantum hardware labs globally. Tomek will speak from the trenches: what founding looks like, what scaling looks like, and what the quantum supply chain crisis nobody is talking about looks like.

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🗣️ Discussions to expect

• Research → Startup: What does the jump actually feel like? What kills most quantum ventures before they start — and what gives the survivors an edge?
• Building in Germany: Grants, EU funding, EXIST, incubators, VCs — what's real and what's noise? How do you navigate the ecosystem without burning two years?
• Hardware is hard: Cryogenics, materials, supply chains, critical raw materials — what does it mean to build quantum hardware in 2025, and what's coming?
• Munich vs. the rest: TUM, Munich Quantum Valley, LRZ — why is Munich the center of gravity, and is there room for other German cities to build their own quantum identity?
• Leipzig's role: Fraunhofer, Leipzig University, SaxonQ ambitions — where does Leipzig fit, and what would it take to become a real node in the national ecosystem?
• For students and early-stage founders: What do Christopher and Tomek wish they'd known earlier? What paths exist that most physics students don't even know about?

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📅 June 8th, 19:00
📍 Basislager Coworking, Leipzig

Open Q&A · Networking · Food & Drinks

Whether you're deep in research, exploring a startup idea, or just want to understand where this technology is going, this is the room to be in.

🚀 Let's build Leipzig's quantum ecosystem.