Especially SMBs often face the challenge of having to find solutions for technology problems that cannot be supplied by their internal R&D department. In order to keep their market position or expand into new business segments, they seek external expertise. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) operates the RESEARCH TO BUSINESS (R2B) platform at www.kit-technology.de/en to help these companies find suitable solutions to their problems – be it know-how from a specific field of research, technologies, measuring equipment, or test facilities. Recently revised, this online platform now also provides current information on patents, information material, indicates contact persons for specific topics, and features convenient search options.
“The exchange between business, industry, and research lays the foundation for substantial innovation in terms of market orientation and social relevance. RESEARCH TO BUSINESS promotes this dialog with KIT and offers practical assistance in finding cooperation partners,” Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT explains. “This is an initiative that supports our objective of bringing science and industry closer together in joint projects in which marketable products are developed based on research results.”
Currently 200 offers, mainly patented technologies from all fields of research conducted at KIT, are published on the online exchange platform. The range of proposals covers – across industries – topics such as fine particle filters, power storage systems, and test facilities for the production of algae. Besides a short abstract, each offer contains important information on patents, industries, and contact persons for interested companies. The portfolio of proposals is constantly being updated and extended. “In addition, we offer a technology hotline where KIT innovation managers even handle inquiries by companies that have not found a suitable solution from the online proposals. The objective is to find the appropriate scientific contact person for all individual needs of the industry,” says Anke Weigel, who is responsible for the project.
R2Blive events where industry representatives and scientists meet in KIT labs, experimental halls, and test facilities to exchange views on a specific topic add to our offer,” Anke Weigel explains. “This direct dialog has already led to actual cooperations in the past that have been beneficial to both parties.”
The online market, hotline, and events evolved from the RESEARCH TO BUSINESS technology newsletter that has been existing for almost 20 years and presents the most recent developments at KIT three times a year. This offer is backed by KIT Innovation Management that takes care of the transfer of patented and research-based technologies and methods.
Access to the technology market: https://www.kit-technology.de/en/
Technology hotline: +49 721 608-22530
For inquiries, e-mail to: innovation ∂does-not-exist.kit edu
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.