Technology regions such as the MRN and the neighbouring Karlsruhe region compete for knowledge, specialists and investments. California's Silicon Valley has been showing how it's done for many years. The prominence of a technology region is the determining factor in joining this competition.
Decisive to the innovative capabilities of a technology region is the quality of the networking both among companies themselves as well as between companies and research establishments. Those technology regions where the protagonists are successful in this regard become attractive to investors, start-up talents and top executives from the fields of science and industry.
nanoValley.eu stands for a closely-knit research and corporate landscape and the nano and material sciences, which are the subject of particular concentration in the region. The aim of the nanoValley.eu initiative is to raise the region's international profile and to make it known as a European technology region.
nanoValley's task is to transfer basic knowledge to applications that are relevant to the respective market. nanoValley.eu sets up "transfer forums" as a platform for exchanging knowledge and experience where interested scientists and companies participate on equal terms. One transfer forum devotes itself to the field of "printable electronics", for instance.
nanoValley.eu is financed and supported by various partners in Baden-Württemberg (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Freudenberg Forschungsdienste KG, the Karlsruhe, Rhine-Neckar and Freiburg Chambers of Industry and Commerce), Rhineland-Palatinate (BASF SE, the Palatinate Chamber of Industry and Commerce) and Hesse (Aktionslinie hessen-nanotech, Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce).
Commercialisation of research results
New and improved products can originate from the transfer of knowledge or technologies between researchers and companies or between companies from the same or different sectors. The decisive factor in instigating a transfer event is to win over concerned parties with overlapping innovative interests with the aim of taking a common approach. The nanoValley.eu initiative strives to identify such fields of innovation and to bring together partners from science and industry in transfer forums to work with one another. Transfer partners are actively sought, motivated to co-operate and made mutually productive via a liaison office. The fundamental principle is that all those involved benefit from the co-operation. The aim is to acquire research assignments or generate funding for the sciences. In return, companies must be able to derive modified or new products from the work performed by the transfer forum.
The commercialisation of research results is to a large extent also dependent upon the fact that scientists are themselves becoming entrepreneurs. In addition to establishing and developing transfer forums, the liaison office has the job of identifying prominent figures who are interested in setting up companies. The office provides start-up support by assisting in the selection of consultation and financing offers, preparing market analyses and contacting initial customers.
Visit nanovalley.eu for more details.
