Transfer of knowledge
TU Darmstadt intensively pursues the transfer of knowledge and technology in business and society. It cultivates close liaisons with selected companies and numerous relationships with the public. TU Darmstadt is one of the most dynamic start-up universities in Germany and is characterised by an entrepreneurial culture. Its innovation and start-up centre HIGHEST is an incubator for innovative, creative and entrepreneurial personalities. By the way: Many successful companies have their roots in TU Darmstadt – such as Software AG (IT), Brain AG (biotech), ISRA Vision (robotics and automation) and Akasol (battery systems).
Strategic partnerships
With 5 companies – Bosch, Continental, Deutsche Bahn, Merck and Siemens – TU Darmstadt has entered into strategic and thematically broad partnerships. These include joint research projects, such as on machine-learning assistance systems for cars.
Cooperation with Hessenmetall
TU Darmstadt and the employers' association Hessenmetall, which represents 580 companies with 130,000 employees in Hessen, work closely together. The cooperation with Hessenmetall is intended to reinforce the innovative strength of medium-sized companies in Hesse’s metal and electrical industry.
Innovation promotion programme “Pioneer Fund
Together with the ENTEGA NATURpur Institute, TU Darmstadt has launched the “Pioneer Fund” innovation funding programme. It supports the transfer of research results into applications with 600,00 euros annually – for example the development of an active substance against chronic pain, a model for predicting electricity prices or the alternative production of magnets from novel alloys.
Professor Dr Mira Mezini ,
Vice President, Research and Innovation
The Pioneer Fund is part of the lively innovation environment at TU Darmstadt. It is a measure that does not wait for application-oriented results to be already available. Rather, it contributes to overcoming the hurdle often referred to as the 'Death Valley' between basic research and application.
Outstanding start-ups
Young start-ups TU Darmstadt environment are causing a stir: These include Alcan (satellite antennas for stable WLAN in vehicles), Wingcopter (transport drone with aircraft characteristics), Tracktics (intelligent management of performance data in professional sports), IT-Seal (cybercrime awareness in companies) or Xelera (high-speed software for Big Data and Internet of Things).
The start-up “NanoWired GmbH” revolutionizes industrial production processes and has received the Hermes Award 2019, endowed with 100,000 euros. The young generation of companies repeatedly wins top prizes in start-up competitions organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs – such as Compredict, which provides sensor technologies for analysing the condition of vehicle parts during operation.
Successful at EXIST
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) supports particularly demanding, technology-oriented start-ups from universities with the “EXIST-Forschungstransfer” (EXIST Research Transfer) funding programme. TU Darmstadt is among the TOP 5 universities in Germany with the highest number of applications for EXIST start-up grants and EXIST research transfer grants.