On October 9 and 10, 2024, the 29 BMBF-funded Innovative Universities of the second funding phase (2023-2027) met for an in-person workshop in Mainz. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the organization executing the project, VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, hosted this event to promote exchange and collaboration with non-university partners. Over 70 participants from all over Germany accepted the invitation. A diverse program with interactive formats including three-corner debates, panel discussions, speed dating, and workshops was offered at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, which hosted the event.
After a welcome by Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman and Nils Schröder (BMBF), the attendees were introduced to the topic of cooperation and collaboration with non-university partners in various keynote speeches.
The highlight of the first day was the three-corner debate, where participants were encouraged to adopt the perspective of an entrepreneur, an NGO, or a municipality, and to consider what communication channels entrepreneurs prefer. The debate focused on personal contacts, trade shows, and possible hurdles such as red tape involved in applications. Experts from the field, including Jürgen Roos from tfSemanticService GmbH, Rena Wißmeier and Markus Böling from KGSt - Kommunale Gemeinschaftsstelle für Verwaltungsmanagement and Dr. Christina tom Suden from the Life Science Zentrum Mainz, were on hand to exchange ideas with the participants. The aim was for the participants to gain a clear idea of how they can approach the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, companies, and local authorities in a targeted manner and win them over for joint projects.
In the panel discussion on day 2, chaired by Prof. Dr. Anett Mehler-Bicher, Vice President for Research and Transfer, new perspectives for developing successful networks were presented by experts from politics, universities, and the business world. In addition to Manuela Matz, Head of Economic Affairs in the City of Mainz’s Department III - Economy, Urban Development, Real Estate and Public Order, and Frauke Bothe-Anstädt, Manager of the Maxfinex Technology Center Startup Ecosystem, Nikola Chardonnes, Coordinator of the Transformation Hub at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, and Kristin Sprechert from the Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences discussed successful strategies for effective relationship management with the interested audience. The various aspects of successful collaboration between universities and non-university partners were explored in greater depth in the group work that followed.
During the two-day face-to-face workshop, the EMPOWER transfer alliance provided exciting insights into ongoing cross-university collaborations with external partners.
