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Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund
New Instructor for YES Workshops

Three Questions for YES Coach Sebastian Ostapiuk

Portraitfoto eines Mannes © CET​/​TU Dortmund
Since July 2026, Sebastian Ostapiuk has been certified as a trainer for Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES). As the third member of the team at the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET), he will help master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs at TU Dortmund University identify the potential of their research for technology transfer, innovation, or starting a business, and develop entrepreneurial skills. TU Dortmund University was recently recognized for the second time as a “Young Entrepreneurs in Science Campus.”

Mr. Ostapiuk, what motivated you to join the YES coaching team?

TU Dortmund University is committed to fostering a vibrant startup culture and the successful transfer of scientific knowledge into practice. I believe it’s important to continue building on that. The CET provides continuing education for TU members in various fields so they can advance their technology transfer or startup projects in the best possible way. YES complements the existing offerings very well. We noticed that clearly last year. The doctoral students and researchers have responded so positively to our YES workshops that I decided to complete the several-month training program and become a trainer myself. I enjoy helping others grow and develop.

You offer workshops from the YES catalog. What do you teach in them?

The Young Entrepreneurs in Science initiative aims to promote the transfer of innovations from research. Through the workshops, I help scientists view their research from a new perspective, identify innovation potential, develop entrepreneurial skills, and successfully put new ideas into practice. The focus is on creativity, problem-solving skills, a focus on technology transfer, and the question of how scientific findings can have a social or economic impact. It doesn’t matter whether participants already have a specific business idea or not. In the 2026–27 winter semester, for example, the first workshop to begin will be “Your Innovation Skills,” in which participants will explore their personal strengths and abilities. Through various reflection and group exercises, we’ll identify our own entrepreneurial “superpowers.” At the same time, there will be plenty of time to exchange ideas with other doctoral candidates and postdocs.

How can you contribute to promoting innovation in the Ruhr region?

Together with my two colleagues, I would like to further expand collaboration within the Ruhr University Alliance. For example, we’re planning joint workshops with the University of Duisburg-Essen and Ruhr University Bochum, which was also re-certified by YES this year. This will allow us to reach more people with our programs, leverage synergies, and provide researchers at various locations with access to entrepreneurship and innovation skills.

 

About the Person:
Sebastian Ostapiuk has been certified as a YES trainer since July 2026—along with Sümeyra Özbek and Dr. Andreas Becker—and works at the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) at TU Dortmund University. Since January 2023, he has served as a project manager for the “European Digital Innovation Hub” (EDIH) there. His primary responsibilities in this role also lie in the “Skills & Training” area, where he develops continuing education and training programs for companies and individuals interested in starting a business. Prior to this, he studied logistics at TU Dortmund University.