Strengthening the transfer between Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) and medium-sized businesses were the focus of the 10th Berlin Transfer Conference University alliance for medium-sized businesses (HAfM). Under the title Transfer works – universities and medium-sized businesses as a motor for regional transformation Representatives from business and science gave exciting impulses and challenges and framework conditions were discussed with representatives from politics. It became particularly clear that regional structures with reliable contact points and people are necessary in order to enable medium-sized businesses and universities of applied sciences to have good transfer conditions.
Financial impulses and the path to sustainable design
Things are progressing with small steps
stated the HAfM chairwoman and president of the Hamm-Lippstadt UniversityProf. Dr. Kira Kastell, at the 10th Berlin Transfer Conference with a view to the latest announcement from the Joint Science Conference (GWK), which decided to strengthen research at universities of applied sciences (HAW) from 2027 through additional funding of around 61 million euros for research infrastructure. Now it is important to talk about how to achieve a good design for sustainable and reliable transfer.
Politics focuses on breadth instead of megacenters
In her keynote speech, the parliamentary state secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the federal government’s representative for small and medium-sized businesses, Gitta Connemann, emphasized the importance of small and medium-sized businesses for economic value creation in Germany. The HAW, together with medium-sized companies, plays a central role in the development of application-related innovations. The federal government is currently working on a holistic transfer agenda with the aim of reducing transfer barriers. The federal government’s goal is to significantly increase the transfer effect from science to business and thus increase the potential of innovations for the German economy. During the discussion it became clear that what is needed is not just a few mega centers for transfer, but rather a broad range of offerings in order to achieve leverage in many places by connecting medium-sized businesses and universities.
Study results: Call for flexibility and agility
Dr. Dr. presented the initial findings from the analyzes for a HAfM study on research and transfer funding. Elisabeth Holuscha, Plan W., before. 81 programs are examined based on criteria such as funding volume, topic openness and research share. Although the evaluation has not yet been completed, initial findings show that the very diverse program area of transfer funding should be made clearer and that there should be greater openness to topics and greater consideration of social innovations. There should also be transfer funding that takes the specifics of the HAW into account. Overall, the framework conditions should become more flexible and agile and also enable universities to take greater responsibility for decisions to discontinue or adapt. According to the findings, programs that address regional ecosystems and enable long-term cooperation have a high transfer effect. Accordingly, local or regional structures with reliable contact points and people are necessary in order to provide medium-sized businesses with good transfer conditions
says Prof. Kastell.
Hurdles in practice: Bureaucracy slows down dynamics
Prof. Dr. showed how good transfer between HAW and medium-sized companies works. Harald Riegel, President of the Aalen Universityas well as Frank Kother, Managing Director of TMC GmbH, and Prof. Dr. Jost Göttert from the Lower Rhine University in their practice transfer projects. In their regional research projects, they have repeatedly found that the industry needs fast and dynamic processes in order to be able to respond well to customer interests. This is counteracted by sometimes bureaucratic and lengthy processes when applying for projects. In addition to project funding, structural funding is also crucial for sustainable transfer. In particular, research-intensive, experimental research groups with complex infrastructure would need a reliable staff and appropriate programs to promote young talent. A key source of inspiration for research, cooperation and transfer for us was the FH-Impuls program, which unfortunately only existed once
says Prof. Riegel.
Political Talk: Agreement on institutionalization and planning security
In the final political talk, Ayse Asar, B’90/The Greens, pointed out that in the future it will be a matter of establishing framework conditions, financing and long-term perspectives/planning security for the transfer and cooperation between HAW and medium-sized companies. There was agreement on the panel that there needs to be an institutionalization of transfer and that barriers that make it difficult for companies in particular to access research with the HAW need to be broken down. Dr. Carolin Wagner, SPD, made it clear that solid structures bring sustainability and that local institutionalization is important. Nicklas Kappe, CDU/CSU, agreed with her: Institutionalization is a crucial point. Targeted control can help to better manage application-oriented research and transfer.
Jörg Cezanne, The Left supports the idea that HAWs should become organizing centers in the regions. Through institutionalized structures on site, HAW can approach companies much more effectively. HAWs should have the capacity to address SMEs on their own and thus support the transfer.
Accordingly, everyone on the podium saw the competence for building regional ecosystems at the regionally anchored HAW in order to bring funding to the area. This requires good structures and, of course, financing. The politicians from the Science and Economics Committee agreed that more money would help, but it wasn’t everything. The transfer promotion and impact should be improved by building regional ecosystems, reducing bureaucracy and long-term cooperation. According to the panel guests, they do not yet have a paper on the design of the transfer boosters. HAW’s consortium leadership in this area is important to us
said Wagner. A strong representation of the HAW in the expert hearing is also essential. In addition to the transfer booster, Asar suggests drawing up a future transfer contract similar to the future contract to strengthen studies and teaching, which would be long-term and extend beyond the legislative period. All discussion participants also emphasized that cooperation between the science and economic ministries is important. A good conclusion after a round that deliberately brought both departments together on stage.