Ernst Eugen Esch endows professorship in entrepreneurship
Support for students and researchers from all disciplines in founding start-ups
2026-02-09 Leuphana University Lüneburg is establishing an endowed professorship for entrepreneurship within its School of Management and Technology, thus continuing its consistent strategy of developing a distinctive profile and enhancing its appeal. This groundbreaking project is made possible by the generous commitment of Ernst Eugen Esch, a successful and philanthropically active entrepreneur from Lower Saxony. He embodies, in a special way, the guiding principles of long-term, creative, and responsible entrepreneurial thinking and action.
The corresponding cooperation agreement has now been officially signed. It is designed to be long-term, will be evaluated within the next five years, and guarantees substantial funding to meet the highest standards in research and teaching.
Ernst Eugen Esch's own life story sensitized him early on to the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and responsible action. Now retired from day-to-day operations, he aims to use his commitment to provide a lasting impetus for the younger generation to assume entrepreneurial responsibility. At the same time, he promotes interdisciplinary engagement with entrepreneurial thinking and action in the interest of a sustainable and responsible transformation of the economy and society.
Ernst Eugen Esch's own life story sensitized him early on to the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and responsible action. Leuphana President Sascha Spoun acknowledges this special commitment: “Taking on entrepreneurial responsibility – whether through start-ups, spin-offs from companies, self-employment, or in the context of business succession – is of central importance for the innovative capacity and transformative capabilities of the economy and society. We are extremely grateful that this funding gives us the opportunity to develop new forms of entrepreneurship and start-up support, to further expand existing strengths, and to raise them to a new level through innovative formats and programs. Our special thanks go to Mr. Esch for his generous, selfless, and compelling support, as well as for the trust in Leuphana that it expresses.”
Leuphana University is one of the leading universities in entrepreneurship research and teaching and is among the most entrepreneurial universities in Germany. Its activities in supporting startups have received numerous awards. For many years, the university has successfully supported entrepreneurial projects; promising startups and developments of established companies have their roots here. Furthermore, entrepreneurship as a research field at Leuphana is broadly positioned: it encompasses focus areas such as social, sustainable, cultural, and digital entrepreneurship, as well as entrepreneurship in schools, and is represented by diverse conceptual approaches and methodological methods.
