Published: | By: Stephan Laudien
On 1 October, the new transfer centre JENAiNNOVATION will be launched in Jena. The centre aims to systematically strengthen the city’s innovative capacity and accelerate the translation of scientific findings into concrete applications, spin-offs, and collaborations. »We want to position Jena as an international high-tech lighthouse,« says Prof. Dr Thomas Pertsch, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Together with University Hospital Jena and the University of Applied Sciences Jena, the University has initiated a strategic project to channel research results into innovations with measurable benefits for business and society, while at the same time providing new impulses for research.
JENAiNNOVATION is supported by a strong and broad network of non-university research institutes, companies, members of JenaVersum, and other partners. The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung will fund the establishment of the centre with a total of three million euros over the first three years.
»Transferring scientific knowledge into economic application is part of our DNA and one of our funding priorities,« emphasizes Dr Felix Streiter, Managing Director of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. »We feel particularly connected to Jena, the birthplace of our foundation. That is why we want to help create a new innovation ecosystem here, in which cutting-edge research and cutting-edge innovation go hand in hand.«
Ede Möser, Managing Director of JENAiNNOVATION, highlights the importance of the project and outlines its ambitious goals: »With this initiative, we are creating joint structures that enable closer integration of science and business as well as seamless innovation pathways from the initial idea to successful market entry.«
JENAiNNOVATION builds on the strengths of regional research and industry actors, bundling them into a dynamic innovation system constantly fueled by research spin-offs—particularly DeepTech start-ups based on scientific breakthroughs. »Our focus is to transform cutting-edge scientific findings into tangible, market-ready solutions for Jena’s companies and beyond, thereby sustainably strengthening Jena as a business location,« says Prof. Dr Kristin Mitte, Vice President for Research and Development and Acting President of the University of Applied Sciences Jena.
»For the University Hospital, JENAiNNOVATION is an opportunity to bring research results into clinical practice more quickly,« adds Prof. Dr Thomas Kamradt, Scientific Director of Jena University Hospital and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Jena. »This means that patients can benefit from new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches sooner.«
The initiative will specifically advance established and internationally recognized research clusters in photonics and medical diagnostics, innovative materials for resource efficiency and life sciences, as well as inflammation and microbiome technologies. In addition, a new regional cluster with high innovation potential in digital and AI technologies is to be developed.
The transfer centre JENAiNNOVATION is based on three pillars:
The project partners are convinced: with its high-tech industries and closely aligned cutting-edge research, Jena has the potential to become one of Germany’s leading innovation regions by 2035—and even one of Europe’s strongest innovation hubs in specialized research and innovation fields. The new transfer centre JENAiNNOVATION is set to be the decisive accelerator for transfer, start-ups, and sustainable growth in the Jena region.
The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung’s mission is to create an open environment for scientific breakthroughs. As a partner of excellence in science, it supports basic research as well as applied sciences in the STEM subject areas (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Founded in 1889 by the physicist and mathematician Ernst Abbe, the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is one of the oldest and biggest private science funding institutions in Germany. It is the sole owner of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG. Its projects are financed from the dividend distributions of the two foundation companies.
