Leuphana University of Lüneburg Lüneburg Innovation Incubator: Mid-term Report

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1 InC uba tor. Leuphana University of Lüneburg Lüneburg Innovation Incubator: Mid-term Report

2 The Innovation Incubator The idea: Strengthen the regional economy through the use of science The Lüneburg Innovation Incubator is a regional development project. It has been launched jointly by Leuphana University of Lüneburg and the German Federal State of Lower Saxony. It intensively promotes the economy in the former Governmental Area of Lüneburg ( Convergence Region ) through the transfer of knowledge from research to companies. By July 2015, the Innovation Incubator, in collaboration with companies and organizations, will have implemented nearly 50 research and development projects at Leuphana. The focus is on three fields: digital media, health and sustainable energy. One could describe the Innovation Incubator as a breeding ground for ideas. The Innovation Incubator is producing sustained growth in the region. Jobs in industries assured of a good future are safeguarded and created. The potential for research and development is expanded preferentially for small and medium-sized companies. A number of projects target the education of highly-qualified graduates for the labor market. This EU-funded major project has an investment volume of about 100 million Euro at its disposal. It executes a basic concept of the innovation strategy of the European Commission with measures within the knowledge triangle of research, education and innovation. At a glance Major project of Leuphana University of Lüneburg Mid-term Report of the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator Funded by Project region Investment volume EU jurisdiction European Union and the German federal state of Lower Saxony The former Governmental Area of Lüneburg ( Convergence Region ): the 11 districts Celle, Cuxhaven, Harburg, Heidekreis, Lüchow-Dannenberg, Lüneburg, Osterholz, Rotenburg (Wümme), Stade, Uelzen and Verden About 98 million Euro (including 63.5 million Euro as a contribution from the European Union s European Regional Development Fund, 22 million Euro in co-financing from the German federal state of Lower Saxony as well as 12.5 million Euro in financing from income) EU Commission, Directorate-General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO) Legal basis Art of Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 Implementation period August 14, 2009 to July 31, 2015 Lüneburg, November 2012

3 Mid-term Report Working better: Small and mediumsized companies can save a great deal of money with optimized processes. More than 30 companies have already used the new methods of Prof. Hans- Heinrich Schleich. Progress through knowledge In August 2009, the time had come: After three years of preparation, the German federal state of Lower Saxony and the Leuphana University of Lüneburg received the approval from the European Commission to launch a project that was unique across Europe. The Lüneburg Innovation Incubator is a EU-funded major project to promote regional economic development. It accelerates the transfer of knowledge from the university to the economy of northeastern Lower Saxony. This occurs by means of nearly 50 innovation projects at Leuphana. Teams of researchers convey real-life expertise to entrepreneurs. Or science and industry jointly devise entirely new methods, products and services. In this way, a university project becomes a driving force of regional development. The project works with the German Federal Employment Agency in order to measure the effect of the Incubator with an independent performance monitor. The federal office in particular helps the Incubator with the measurement of effects on employment and industries in the project s region. Rust radar: Environmental chemists led by Prof. Wolfgang Ruck have made a breakthrough: Their newly patented sensor provides warnings about rust buildup in wells and pipes. Off we go Three years after its approval, the Innovation Incubator is moving ahead at full speed. In late 2012, 35 projects and more than 110 sub-projects are already developing new ideas. More than 290 people from around the world, including about 230 scientific assistants, are working with more than 320 companies and organizations. The majority of the partners, about 240 of them, comes from the region. The Incubator has empowered the first young entrepreneurs to set up new ventures; established partner companies are directly putting research results into practice, creating jobs or moving to the region. And this despite the fact that most of the Innovation Incubator s projects will still run until 2014 or Only a few teams have already completed their work and presented their results. Three examples show how completed projects have been effective in the region. In January 2012, Hans-Heinrich Schleich, a professor of production management, presented an analysis indicating that small and medium-sized companies could save hundreds of thousands of Euro with improvements in their processes. During the developmental period, he advised companies in seven districts in the project s territory. The companies in our investigation unnecessarily spent between 0.8 million and 2.7 million Euro a year, he said. The consulting firm CCMI GmbH, which emerged from Leuphana, is now carrying out the analysis within companies. Anti-accident test: How can truck drivers better avoid accidents? A team led by psychology professor Rainer Höger has programmed driver training for truck drivers. Prof. Wolfgang Ruck introduced a new sensor that provides warnings about rust buildup in wells and water pipes through the use of online monitoring. Volume production at the Lüneburg sensor specialist Franatech is being planned. The company and the university have been cooperating since Since then, the number of employees has steadily risen, and the company decided against a move to Canada. Psychology Professor Rainer Höger has developed driver training for truckers. He introduced the simulator training in July It is designed to better prepare truck drivers for high-risk situations in traffic and help to prevent accidents and make roads safer in the process. TÜV Nord plans to use the results of Höger s research in targeted driver training for truck drivers. Psychologists and programmers worked together with Eichhorn Spedition in Winsen/Luhe, among other partners, to develop the simulator.

4 THE FOCUS AREAS Whether it is online videos, new models for nursing care or chemical energy storage, the Innovation Incubator primarily operates in three fields: digital media, health and sustainable energy. Research on these topics equips the region for the challenges of tomorrow. Three topics with a future The Lüneburg Innovation Incubator focuses its research teams on three fields: digital media, health and sustainable energy. In the autumn of 2010, the Structural Commission of the German federal state of Lower Saxony recommended that the Incubator focus on these topics for the future. The six-member expert panel, chaired by the Lower Saxony State Secretary for Science and Culture, Dr. Josef Lange, includes Dr. Dieter Imboden, president of the National Research Council of Switzerland, Sir Peter Jonas, long-time director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kluge, former head of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company s German Office, Prof. Dr. Manfred Prenzel, National Project Manager for the OECD-Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2003, 2006 and 2012) in Germany, and Frank-Jürgen Weise, Chairman of the Managing Board of the German Federal Employment Agency. Digital Media The Incubator does research on the Digital Media field because technological innovations are profoundly changing media and their use and thus our society. Armed with about 17 million Euro in grants, about 60 people are addressing the question of change in the digital culture. They are developing new moving-image formats, distribution channels and business models. Projects and sub-projects in the Digital Media field The competence tandems Moving Image Lab, Segmented Media Offerings, Basic Provision 2.0 and Hybrid Publishing the Search Engine Marketing SEM-A2 research and development project the Post-Media Lab media arts project the Digital Media in the Region and Entrepreneurship for Regional Companies visiting professors and PhD research fellows. In the Moving Image Lab competence tandem, for example, an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Dr. Timon Beyes develops moving-image formats in fields relating to civil society and the commercial sphere. Its partners from the business world include the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Volksbank Stade-Cuxhaven. The Moving Image Lab is one of up to 14 competence tandems at the Incubator. Competence tandems are research collaborations with international staff members that work on future-oriented issues, which are also of interest to companies. Another example: PhD research fellow Eric Horster has teamed up with CUX Tourism in Cuxhaven to investigate the influence of reputation on travel decisions on the Internet. In his research, the cultural scientist is relying on one of the Incubator s 20 scholarships for doctoral candidates. First Successes (Examples) Since the spring of 2012, the production company explainity, a spinoff from the Moving Image Lab media project, has been producing explanatory films in Lüneburg. The project developed a video clip format with cut-out technology. Using the new format, it won the German Business Film Prize in 2011, among other honors. Many of the explainity educational films can be seen on the channel. The producer and former MTV presenter Sophie Rosentreter moved to Lüneburg in 2012 with her company Ilses weite Welt (Ilse s Wide World), which develops films for dementia patients. The Innovation Incubator helps her further develop her marketing strategy. In the fall of 2011, the Better Beta Conference communicated the Design Thinking product development technique to about 200 participants from the sciences and industry at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg.

5 First Successes (Examples) The Minddistrict software company, a market leader in the Netherlands, set up its first German office in Lüneburg in the course of its collaboration with the Online Health Training competence tandem and established a number of jobs there. The Hamburg company Novego and the Association for Psychosocial Work in Celle, which cooperates with the Integrated Care competence tandem created other positions that were not publicly funded. As of fall 2012, the competence tandem Healthy at Work established four consulting positions in Buchholz, Stade, Soltau and Verden with the rehab provider Reha Assist and the vocational advancement center Berufsförderungswerk Friedehorst Bremen. Companies and employees can gather information and arrange training on prevention and occupational health protection there. Health The Innovation Incubator zeroes in on health as a main focus since the demographic trend in Germany raises the question of what equitable, high-quality and fundable patient care might look like in future. Armed with about 17 million Euro in grants, about 70 people are developing approaches for the health system of the future. Projects and sub-projects in the Health field Competence tandems Integrated Care, Online Health Training, Management Models for Integrated Care, Healthy at Work research and development project Finding Good Nursing Care Easily Case study: Interdisciplinary Management Who Will Care For Us in the Future? Visiting professorships and PhD research fellowships: Health Tourism in the Region and Health Care Economy in the Region Research network for organizational health The innovation and transfer alliance Performance Management in Small and Medium-sized Companies Leuphana College Studies in Practice: Health Tourism, Online Health Training, and Beluga Healthcare. The competence tandem Integrated Care, for example, examines new ways of mental health services for people with mental disorders. Due to an integrated healthcare network of mental health nurses, psychiatrists and physicians providing outpatient care, patients can be treated at home instead of being treated in a hospital. The Online Therapy sub-project led by Prof. Dr. Wulf Rössler develops online health trainings in the field of mental disorders. The sub-project SEplus (Supported Employment plus) develops an approach offering support to employees with mental disorders performing ordinary work. Lufthansa Technik and the health insurance companies AOK Plus and KKH Allianz are partners. The Finding Good Nursing Care Easily research and development project is another example. The people in need of care in the region should do as well as possible that is the goal of psychology professor Peter Paulus and his team. They looked at the situations where people felt the most comfortable in 11 nursing homes in the districts of Osterholz, Verden, Lüneburg and Celle. The results led the participating homes to promote the well-being of their residents in a targeted way. This benefits these establishments and the people in need of care in particular, Paulus says. Sustainable Energy Innovation Incubator projects in the field of Sustainable Energy translate the realization that climate change requires new concepts for the use of energy and resources. About 40 persons are developing ideas for greater ecological, social and economic sustainability. About 9 million Euro in grants are available for the projects. Projects and sub-projects in the field of Sustainable Energy Competence tandems Platform for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, EnERgioN, and Thermal Battery Sustainable Small and Medium-Sized Companies innovation network Leuphana College Studies in Practice: Klimawerk Energieagentur (Climate Works Energy Agency), Wendland bioenergy region, Marienau Environmental School Energy Forum symposium. The EnERgioN competence tandem, for example, examines how eco-electric power can be stored in navigable waterways and distributed in the region. It is the focus of researchers at the Uelzen municipal utilities and nearly 30 other utilities and energy suppliers in the project area. The goal is a virtual power station that connects distributed units of production, storage and consumption in economically and technically expedient ways. Citizens of the region are expected to be able participate financially in the effort. Its scientific manager, Prof. Thomas Schomerus, is convinced that the more the energy supply is borne by the regions, the less large solutions such as offshore wind energy and the expansion of transmission networks will be required. Another example is the Leuphana College Study in Practice with the Klimawerk Energieagentur : The Climate Works Energy Agency advises individual property owners, companies and communities on energy-oriented construction and renovation. Under the guidance of Dr. Karina Hellmann, Leuphana Bachelor students have drawn up a concept to improve their networking. This fairly small research project is one of the Innovation Incubator s College Studies in Practice, in which students develop solutions to the real challenges facing their collaborators. First Successes (Examples) The Inocas company in Lüneburg, a spin-off from the Sustainable Aviation Fuels competence tandem, does research on the acquisition of sustainable airplane fuel with Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Since the fall of 2012, the governmental district of Lüchow- Dannenberg has lent electric bicycles and electric cars to tourists, daily commuters and district residents. The idea emerged from the Sustainable Small and Medium-sized Companies company network. At the Leuphana Energy Forum 2012 with 260 participants, companies from the region met such speakers as Claudia Kemfert of the German Institute for Economic Research. I am taking new technical ideas for my own company from the workshop on hot water supply, says participant Ingo Kempa of keenco3, a planning firm specializing in energyefficient construction and renovation.

6 First Successes (Examples) In 2012, about 300 Leuphana students presented their proposal for a radical restructuring of the public health sector in the Federal Republic of Germany at the European Parliament in Brussels. They called for a legally mandated basic provision for everyone and, in the process, the abolition of the right to exit the mutual group for beneficiaries with relatively high income and for specified professional groups. The Professional School s Start-up Service assists have guided about 43 start-ups since the Innovation Incubator was launched and have carried out about 300 in-depth consultations. Revitalize nursing homes and social services buildings structurally that is the goal set by meisterplan b GmbH in Lüneburg. The planning bureau was conceived in cooperation with the Sustainable Small and Medium-sized Companies innovation network. Managing Director Holger Horn founded it in early Other Projects The Innovation Incubator is pursuing particularly promising projects above and beyond its key three fields, Digital Media, Health and Sustainable Energy. These projects contribute to the development of the region. Their topics are broadly based. Projects and sub-projects The research and development projects Operations Excellence, FeQuan Rust sensor, Industries in Networks, Resource Efficiency as a Key Factor, Trace Analysis of NSO-Heterocycles and Driving Simulator The visiting professorships and PhD research fellowships Environment and Sustainability in the Region, Sustainable Agriculture in the Region, Sustainable Chemistry in the Region, Culture and the Region, Public Administration and the Region, Management and Entrepreneurship in the Region and Internationalization of Small and Medium-sized Companies in the Region Sustainable Small and Medium-sized Companies innovation network Leuphana College Business formation projects Regional networking Transfer and innovation assistants E-learning Case studies Creativity economy Continuing education Research infrastructure Knowledge database. A number of projects, for example, target the training of highly-qualified graduates for the labor market: Leuphana students benefit from additional seminars, lectures, scholarships and counseling. The Incubator supports the development of courses of study and certificates for continuing education for people in employment. About 100 students gain practical experience as student assistants. Another example: the Incubator promotes entrepreneurship in the region with several start-up projects. By doing so, it is expanding a Lüneburg strength since Leuphana is one of the top five universities in Germany for starting up businesses, according to the current ranking by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). A third example: the Innovation Incubator is supporting the construction of research space in the new Leuphana main building, designed by professor and architect Daniel Libeskind: 222 modern office workplaces are being built here. This is improving the infrastructure-related prerequisites for science and development in the region. Model of the planned main Leuphana building by day and by night u

7 The Partners The Incubator is cooperating with about 240 companies in the region Cuxhaven 6 Osterholz 4 Stade Rotenburg 9 12 Harburg Harburg Lüneburg Innovation Incubator researchers have already concluded cooperative agreements with 236 companies and organizations in the project region and the number continues to rise. Poliboy Brandt & Walther GmbH, a long-standing, medium-sized manufacturer of furniture polish based in Osterholz, for example, is developing sustainable business concepts within the Sustainable Small and Medium-sized Companies innovation network. Furthermore, the Incubator s partners include 85 national companies and organizations. They encompass large companies as well as well-known public institutions: the energy supplier Vattenfall Europe, for example, is doing research on heat storage in private households with the Thermal Battery competence tandem, while the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is investigating user behavior on the Internet with the Moving Image Lab competence tandem. Due to the inclusion of these global players, experts are predicting positive effects for the regional economy. In all, researchers are working with 321 companies and organizations. What do companies get from it? Verden 10 5 Heidekeis Uelzen 28 Lüchow- Dannenberg 20 The Innovation Incubator is seeking other companies for cooperative projects on an ongoing basis, to jointly develop new solutions with practically oriented research. The advantages to companies are manifold: Research at the Master s and doctorate levels provides them with answers to regional economic questions. In company networks, businesses collaborate with the university on specific topics relating to sustainability or human resources management. The international research-oriented visiting professors initiate consulting projects. Teaming up with student groups, small and mediumsized companies can dedicate themselves to topics relevant to their firms over a number of months. Specially equipped research teams tackle solutions for small and medium-sized companies that are achievable in the short term. Internationally staffed research collaborations, known as competence tandems, investigate the topics of the future, which are also relevant to large companies. Celle PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT REGION 7 Status: November 2012 Brussels is promoting the entire region In the current funding period ( ) of the European Structural Funds, the former Governmental Area of Lüneburg has been classified as a Convergence Region. Convergence Regions are marked by a gross domestic product per capita below 75% of the average for the European Union (EU-15), which is the reason they need special support. The European Regional Development Fund therefore finances the majority of the Innovation Incubator s activities The project region for the Incubator lies between the three major metropolitan centers in northern Germany: Hamburg to the north, Bremen to the west and Hanover to the south. It stretches across a total surface of 15,507 km², covering a total of 11 governmental districts. About 1.7 million people live here. At 110 inhabitants per square kilometer, the population density is just under half of the federal average.

8 WHAT IS THE STRUCTURAL COMMISSION SAYING? WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY SAYING? The Incubator is tremendously well-suited to pursue sustainable labor market initiatives. For this reason, Leuphana University is meeting its regional responsibilities in an exemplary manner and is setting standards in university-driven regional development. Frank-Jürgen Weise, Chairman of the Managing Board of the German Federal Employment Agency The promotion of small and medium-sized companies is close to our hearts here at IHK. Unlike major companies, they often do not have the opportunity to commission studies or maintain their own laboratories. The Innovation Incubator helps them to take advantage of the most current knowledge in spite of this. This direct contact to research can become a genuine competitive advantage for small and medium-sized companies in our region. That is why we are happy to work with the Innovation Incubator team. Michael Zeinert, chief executive, Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Lüneburg-Wolfsburg With the Innovation Incubator, Leuphana is becoming a launch pad for trend-setting ideas and stimuli in the economy. In this way, an underdeveloped region is emerging as a widely visible center of science and innovation. The presence of high-caliber international science and the solidarity with industry are turning the Incubator into a valuable, innovative and, above all, urgently needed tool for the sustainable development of the Lüneburg region. Prof. Dr. Dieter Imboden, president of the National Research Council of Switzerland As the global market leader for laser systems in radiation therapy, nuclear medicine and radiology diagnostics, we cannot afford any waste whatsoever. The analyses of our manufacturing developed in the Operations Excellence Incubator project is giving us guidance on what improvements are feasible and sensible for us we are already implementing the first steps. Hans-Peter Werner, technical director, LAP GmbH Laser Applikationen The Innovation Incubator s competence tandems are trend-setting. The German economy needs this kind of knowledge-based business development to generate growth. The concentration on key topics is the decisive factor for the later success of the push for innovation. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kluge, former head of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company s German Office The Sustainable Small and Medium-sized Companies network is a place for the exchange of information between entrepreneurs and scientists with similar concerns. In everyday life, there is often little time for this. We learn about some topics, and support the other participants on others. All in all, it is a well-rounded concept. Eva Danneberg, managing director, Werkhaus Design + Produktion GmbH

9 WHAT ARE RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS SAYING? How did psychology pioneer Kurt Lewin put it? A good theory is the best practice. To this point, I have done research on the international comparison of health systems I can now integrate this knowledge as a visiting professor for health economics in my regional projects. My goal is to make the quality of doctors in contractual physician care in the region more transparent. Prof. Dr. Mirella Cacace Test theory in practice it is impossible to make up for this experience in a lecture. In turn, College Studies are a very good opportunity for students. Our team consisted of a business psychologist, a cultural scientist and me, an environmental scientist. The city of Rotenburg (Wümme) received three proposals from us on how it can better use its community center. Frederike Reinermann The fame of an artist internationally is frequently put on the same level as his/her success. As a visiting professor for Culture and Region, I do research on how this paradigm applies: What artistic potential does the Lüneburg project region hold and to what extent is the region able to promote the internationality and the success of an artist? With the cultural managers of Freiraum Lüneburg, I founded the new Art and Culture Districts cultural network. We want to develop the potential for innovative, cooperative projects in the region. Prof. Dr. Massimiliano Nuccio FIGURES DATA FACTS Project status 35 of up to 47 project applications have been legally approved by NBank, the bank for investment and business development for the German federal state of Lower Saxony. Five additional applications are currently being examined. It has now been applied for 83 million Euro and thus 97 percent of the total project funding of about 86 million Euro (European Regional Development Fund plus co-financing from the German federal state of Lower Saxony) at NBank. Project applications with a volume of 76 million Euro have already been approved; requests with a volume of about 7 million Euro are currently in the examination phase. Currently, 257 employees, three professors and three administrators of a professorial chair are working on the successful implementation of this EU-funded major project. In addition, 29 visiting professors and scientists have been assigned. Furthermore, 98 students are employed as scientific assistants at the Incubator. The three main topics Digital Media, Health and Sustainable Energy are the core research areas for activities in the Incubator. In the region The Innovation Incubator has cooperative projects in all 11 governmental districts. A total of 348 formal cooperative projects with 321 partners have already been concluded. 236 cooperative partners come from the project region, including 154 regional small and medium-sized companies. In more than 150 discussions by mid-2012, the Incubator presented opportunities for cooperation to the administrative and political spheres, multipliers such as chambers of industry and commerce, chambers of skilled trades or economic development organizations. About 3,000 participants from regional companies and organizations have attended Innovation Incubator events and benefited from the transfer of knowledge by mid Scientists have presented their projects at more than 60 trade fairs and public events including Dr. Heinrich Degenhart and Dr. Thomas Schomerus, who presented their EnERgioN energy storage project at the world s largest technology show, Hannover Messe, in Status: November 2012

10 S e n i o r e n p f l e g e Wir pflegen mit Freude Kurzzeit-/ Dauerpflege Dementenbetreuung Palliativpflege Adipositaspflege Zertifizierung Verbraucherfreundlichkeit Tel.: (05857) Barförder Straße Bleckede / OT Wendewisch Partners Haus Tetzlaff And about 240 other partners

11 MASTHEAD Leuphana University of Lüneburg Innovation Incubator Lüneburg Idea and conceptualization: Holm Keller Editorial: Ursula Zipperer Editorial collaboration: Martina Bechter, Katharina Kubisch, Thorsten Kurtz Design and typesetting: Katrin Eismann, Susanne Laudien, André Bernau Photos: Archimation, Berlin: p. 11; Brinkhoff-Mögenburg: p. 16; Bundesagentur für Arbeit: p. 14; Merle Busch: p. 24; Fotolia: p. 4, 6; Haniel: p. 14; S.19; Anne-Gabriel Jürgens: p. 4, 6; Martin Klindtworth: p. 6; Frederike Reinermann: p. 16; Schweizerischer Nationalfonds: p. 14 Print: Beisner Druck, Buchholz/Nordheide Circulation: 1000 Back cover photo: At the invitation of members of the EU Parliament in Brussels, about 300 students from the Leuphana University of Lüneburg presented their proposal for the German health system of the future. The first-year students developed their model for reform in a simulation game supported by the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator. They also met the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.

12 The Innovation Incubator is funded by Holm Keller, M.A. MPA (Harvard) Executive Vice President Leuphana University of Lüneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1, DE Lüneburg Martina Bechter Operational Project Management Lüneburg Innovation Incubator Scharnhorststrasse 1, DE Lüneburg You can also visit us at: Printed on recycled paper

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