Innovation Matters: Interdisciplinary knowledge exchange for societal challenges - networks, methods, transfer

Research and development are central to identifying current societal challenges and developing solutions. To achieve this goal, a cross-disciplinary, open approach to innovation and close mutual exchange with social and economic actors are of particular importance. This is the only way to identify current environmental, economic and societal problems and to develop innovative solutions for sustainable growth. This applies in particular to societal challenges such as those identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Against this background, the cooperation project is dedicated to supporting the exchange of knowledge to solve societal challenges and promote social innovation, together with the active involvement of transfer partners from business and society. The project is explicitly interdisciplinary and cross-institutional. A special concern of the project is the exchange of knowledge with non-profit organisations as well as young start-ups and academic spin-offs. On the one hand, this ensures that current questions and problems are taken into account in research; on the other hand, it contributes to the success of innovative companies and social actors. The focus of the cooperation project is the establishment of topic-specific transfer networks between scientists from all disciplines and transfer partners as well as the implementation-oriented communication of open innovation methods and the topic-specific development of transfer projects and services. The respective subprojects should - under the set guiding themes - explicitly intertwine and build on each other. The topics of education, health and care, climate and housing form the background for the project.