Defying Death Valleys: Germany Promotes Disruptive Innovations

The foremost challenge for entrepreneurs and start-ups with potentially game-changing ideas is getting financial support for ideas and business concepts that, by definition, are completely untried. Germany recognizes the dilemma and has set up a government agency, called SPRIND (www.sprind.org), to assist the most audacious of innovations. We talk to SPRIND’s innovation manager and an agency-supported start-up that wants to rid the world’s waters of microplastics. Our guests: SPRING Innovation Manager Olav Carlsen has specialized in radical business notions for more than 30 years. He now focuses on seeking out innovative ideas in Germany to ensure they get the support they need. Roland Damann is founder and CEO of Microbubbles, a company that has developed a novel approach to the problem of microplastic pollution.