Munich Startup: What is the CDTM?
Samuel Valenzuela, CDTM: For a long time, the CDTM simply defined as a joint institution of TUM and LMU that networks, trains, and empowers the innovators of tomorrow. Twenty-seven years after its founding, however, the CDTM has become more complex: Around the turn of the millennium, TU and LMU recognized the opportunity to complement traditional higher education with interdisciplinary, project-based teaching. The CDTM was launched to equip students with the necessary tools to deal with new technologies. It was accepted as an elite study program in the Elite Network Bavaria (ENB), and is funded to just over half by the universities, with support from the ENB. The other half of the funding comes from project-based industry and university collaborations.
At its core, the CDTM offers a supplementary degree program in Technology Management. With an acceptance rate of around five percent, only the most talented and dedicated students are given the opportunity to participate in the program and tackle real corporate challenges. The CDTM has developed into a vibrant community with over 1,000 alumni and is now also active in Spain. Its goal is to become the leading innovation program in Europe. So what is CDTM today? The CDTM is a program, a community, a support association, a European network, and has recently been expanded to include an investment vehicle. However, if one had to reduce the CDTM to a single noun, "community" would be all that remains: What makes the CDTM special is its composition of remarkable people who challenge the status quo and support one another in bringing their ideas of all kinds to life.
Student engagement meets agile structure
Munich Startup: What makes the CDTM so unique?
Samuel Valenzuela: What makes CDTM unique is its bottom-up structure. From the very beginning, the development of the study program and the community was largely driven by the student body. Those accepted into the program immediately assume responsibility. All students are assigned to a so-called "task force," which independently manages operational areas such as "marketing," "community building," "infrastructure," and "onboarding." Each person contributes their own perspective and actively shapes CDTM.
The task forces are coordinated by the CDTM's management team, which consists of doctoral students. They manage the center's educational and operational activities and, through their close collaboration with students, are able to make decisions quickly. The management team is supported by two structures: The Board of Professors advises on strategic decisions, while the Alumni Association provides additional non-material and financial resources, for example, for scholarships.
The CDTM: An interdisciplinary, career-open, impact-oriented educational program
Munich Startup: What is the focus of your program and how do you integrate current tech trends?
Samuel Valenzuela: We have a clear mission: We connect, educate, and empower the innovators of tomorrow. We teach innovation and leadership skills in an interdisciplinary and holistic manner. While the focus is on digitalization and technology, true innovation arises at the intersection of different disciplines.
The CDTM is known for its entrepreneurial influence: Around 20 percent of all German unicorns were co-founded by alumni – with only about 50 new students enrolled annually. Often confused with startup funding, we are not an incubator, but rather a career-oriented, impact-oriented educational program. Our goal is to empower students to drive innovation where they see the greatest potential for change – be it in startups, corporations, research, NGOs, or politics.
At the heart of CDTM is our interdisciplinary community. Students from a wide range of disciplines learn from and with each other, work on real-world challenges, and develop concrete solutions. We also offer weekly events and discussions on topics such as entrepreneurial mentality and innovative research. We systematically integrate current technology trends through project-based learning, elective courses, hackathons, and other initiatives initiated by our students.
Munich Startup: How do you ensure practical relevance?
Samuel Valenzuela: To ensure a practical learning experience, we select (industry) partners whose projects require concrete results while giving students the freedom to go through the entire innovation process – from problem analysis and idea generation to solution development. Each project phase is supported by targeted, solution-oriented workshops that always emphasize practical benefits.
International perspectives as an opportunity for growth
Munich Startup: What significance does the stay abroad have for you?
Samuel Valenzuela: Previously, a stay abroad was a prerequisite for graduation from CDTM, but current regulations offer more flexibility. Nevertheless, international experience remains an important part of our culture, fostering curious and globally minded individuals. A stay abroad broadens horizons, fosters new perspectives, and helps you become familiar with different collaboration styles, technologies, and ways of thinking.
We have partnerships with leading institutions, such as UC Berkeley, that offer our students tremendous opportunities. At the same time, we support student initiatives and encourage them to pursue their own goals. Many of our alumni work at top universities around the world, in startups, or with VCs, offering our students mentoring and local contacts. This creates a strong, informal network that enriches the stay abroad. For us, the stay abroad is an opportunity for growth and valuable insights that flow back into the CDTM community.
Munich Startup: What do you offer beyond the curriculum?
Samuel Valenzuela: In addition to our core curriculum, we regularly offer electives covering a wide range of topics. These topics are from the community for the community and include everything from self-leadership and meditation to brain-computer interfaces and carbon dioxide removal. Meanwhile, there are so many decentralized initiatives running within the community that it's sometimes difficult to stay up-to-date on all the topics. There are roundtables, initiatives, sports groups, hackathons, and more.
Munich Startup: You only accept 25 people per batch. How do you select them?
Samuel Valenzuela: We have a two-stage application process, in which the qualifications and personal fit of the applicants are evaluated first through a CV review and then through interviews. Over the years, we have been able to identify which factors are particularly important for a strong and interdisciplinary class composition.
The more you get involved, the more you take with you
Munich Startup: Why is the CDTM so attractive despite the high workload?
Samuel Valenzuela: At CDTM, there's a tried-and-true principle: the more you get involved, the more you gain from the experience. The demanding workload is a central component of the program, as it shows our students how much they can achieve in a short period of time. The fact that so many willingly make this commitment speaks volumes about the young generation's commitment to innovation.
Munich Startup: You don't have an "official" startup focus in your program. How come so many alumni have founded successful companies?
Samuel Valenzuela: The people we are privileged to support at the Center are precisely those who pursue their topics with a great deal of drive, ambition, perseverance, and passion. Whatever they lack is supplemented by our community and course content, helping them develop self-efficacy. In the past, this very mix has inspired many of our Centerlings to pursue entrepreneurship. Today, the CDTM is known for entrepreneurship. Some students apply with this very topic in mind.
This interview is the first in a series of articles on the CDTM. Read the second part and here the third part.
