📋 Tender Overview
The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism is continuing its support for technology transfer managers in the second half of the 2021-2027 funding period of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) . With a total funding amount of approximately two million euros, ten institutions across the state will be supported, employing a total of 15 technology transfer managers .
"Innovations – be they new products, processes, or services – are the key to our economy's competitiveness," said Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut , Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism. "The technology transfer managers do valuable work, especially by providing individual support to our small and medium-sized enterprises in the state in implementing new ideas. With this new funding round, we are sharpening their focus: They should increasingly activate companies that have previously been non-innovative or have shown little innovation," the minister continued.
The supported chambers and regional economic development agencies originate from all regions of Baden-Württemberg and offer comprehensive consulting services. The goal of the technology transfer managers is to introduce companies to innovation projects through contact with other companies or research institutions and the transfer of research results from science to industry. In this way, they support companies in the development and implementation of new products, processes, and services, thus contributing to strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a center of innovation.
Approach of the technology transfer managers
A central component of their work is therefore the initiation of collaborations between companies and research institutions, as well as networking within the business community. A particular focus is on systematically identifying companies with a low focus on innovation and specifically encouraging them to innovate. Through technology scouting and the development of digital transfer formats, they help companies overcome barriers to innovation and develop sustainable innovation strategies.
In the first half of the current ERDF funding period, as well as in the previous period from 2014 to 2020, over 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises benefited from the work of technology transfer managers. The new funding round builds on previous experiences and strengthens the innovative capacity of the regional economy.
The ERDF in Baden-Württemberg
To promote regional structural development, Baden-Württemberg will receive approximately €279 million from the European Union (ERDF) in the 2021-2027 funding period. The Baden-Württemberg ERDF program is aligned with the state's innovation strategy and supports the key areas of future technologies and skills, as well as resource and climate protection. Within the Ministry of Economic Affairs, projects funded by this program will strengthen, among other things, application-oriented research and development, technology and knowledge transfer, networking activities, and business start-ups.
