Innovations that are created in Berlin should also be implemented in Berlin. That is the idea behind the network of the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW Berlin), the  Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR Berlin), the Evangelische Hochschule Berlin (EHB) und the Katholische Hochschule für Sozialwesen Berlin (KHSB). Around eight million euros from the “Innovative Hochschule” funding programme are available for this. The project was launched on 17 October with a high-profile kick-off event.

“Berlin has a lot of potential. There is an incredible amount of knowledge and research here and many young people with creative ideas. The city is predestined to bring both together,” explained the project leader and Vice President of HTW Berlin, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Molthagen-Schnöring, in welcoming and introducing the project “Zukunft findet Stadt – Hochschulnetzwerk für ein resilientes Berlin”. The importance and charisma of this collaborative project was underlined by the contributions of Britta Behrendt, State Secretary for Climate Protection, Michael Biel, State Secretary for Economics and Dr. Henry Marx, State Secretary for Science and Research, with impulses and wishes from the political sphere.

The university network is to initiate projects, network people with each other, and the first prototypes are to be created. “We want to open our laboratories and make them usable for actors from civil society or for companies that have concrete questions and want to work with students on site. With a roadshow through Berlin companies, we also want to explore points of contact between science and business. After all, as Berlin’s universities of applied sciences, we are there for the city. And we want innovations that are created in Berlin to be implemented here – and to stay here,” says Molthagen-Schnöring.

The project focuses on the topics of health and climate protection. Together with partners from business and urban society, the five universities are working on urban challenges to prepare the capital region for the future. To this end, the partner universities develop and test new transfer formats and activities. The close interaction with practice strengthens the areas of third mission and transfer in the universities and consolidates the regional anchoring of the universities of applied sciences (HAW). For example, two real labs are being created as part of the project at the Berlin partners Johannesstift Diakonie Pflege und Wohnen and Impact Hub Berlin.

“The Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) is also starting the Berlin-wide project ‘Zukunft findet Stadt’ with great pleasure. The great challenges of our time require an interplay of many specialist disciplines. With the physical location in the GlasBox, the BHT is creating a contact point for students and departments of the university, urban society as well as for companies and science in order to jointly identify needs and create solutions through concrete innovations,” says Dr Julia Neuhaus, President of the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT).

About the funding:

The funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research runs for five years until 2027 with eight million euros. Around 1.2 million euros will go to project partners in industry and society. In addition, about 850,000 euros will flow into Berlin’s economy through contract awards. The universities are thus promoting Berlin’s urban society. This was preceded by a nationwide competition. 165 universities applied for the second funding round of the federal-state initiative. The selection committee chose 16 individual and 13 joint projects for funding, including “Zukunft findet Stadt”.

Website: www.zukunftstadt.berlin