Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: Trinational Knowledge Transfer Day
Twelve universities on the Upper Rhine, including the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and the 100 partner companies of the European Commission-funded project “Knowledge Transfer Upper Rhine” (KTUR) invite researchers, companies, start-ups and students on April 12, 2022 to exchange knowledge and technology transfer in the trinational Upper Rhine region. The “Innovation Day Upper Rhine” (IDUR) takes place in the Palais Universitaire of the University of Strasbourg, the main speaker is the Nobel Prize winner for medicine Jules Hoffmann. Media representatives are invited to the event.
The event brings together all those involved in innovation in technology and knowledge transfer on both sides of the state borders on the Upper Rhine and beyond. In three specific program areas for researchers, research laboratories, start-ups and companies, the Innovation Day deals with specific challenges such as founding a company, financing, intellectual property or digitization. The focus is on the topics of deep tech, innovations in the health sector and sustainability.
The EU project KTUR aims to strengthen cross-border relationships between science and industry by building a permanent transfer network on the Upper Rhine. “One challenge of innovation-oriented research and technology transfer is above all the communication between science, business and society,” explains Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs at KIT. With the Innovation Day Upper Rhine, the dialogue between science and business should be promoted and the right partners on both sides should be brought together. “Because it is precisely this close exchange that forms the basis for a strong economy and thus social prosperity,” says Hirth.
“The University of Strasbourg is delighted to host the first Innovation Day Upper Rhine, one of the largest knowledge and technology transfer conferences in the region. The event, which has been declared an official event of the French EU Council Presidency, will provide answers to the most pressing questions from founders and those interested in starting a business,” emphasizes Michel de Mathelin, Senior Vice-President of the University of Strasbourg and Vice-President for Socio-Economic Relations and Transfer. A special focus is on start-ups and those interested in founding a company, because the Deep Tech program area is organized together with the French investment bank BPI.
Cross-border exchange: program with lectures, workshops and networking opportunities
In addition to plenary sessions on the topics of deep tech, sustainability and innovations in the health sector, “Walks of the Best” will take place, where three start-ups from the region will present themselves. More than 15 workshops deal with cooperation between science and business, start-ups or intellectual property. The lecture program includes, among others, the Nobel Prize winner for medicine Jules Hoffmann, professor at the Institute for Advanced Study of the University of Strasbourg.
Researchers, start-ups, companies and students can introduce themselves at the Innovation Day, network with each other and get to know potential cooperation partners.