Innovation and collaboration for industrial transformation: the official opening ceremony
Together with State Secretary Dr. Severin Fischer from the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Stefan Kögl, Larissa Zeichhardt, Sven Weickert, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Arnold and Marian Schreier, we discussed value creation through improved transfer into industrial practice in a joint panel discussion.
The panel advocated an optimistic and potential-oriented approach. After all, Germany and the Berlin-Brandenburg region in particular have the necessary prerequisites to achieve a leading position in the global competition for future technologies. Larissa Zeichhardt sees great opportunities for the location in the future field of “quantum computing” in particular, as it has a high level of industrial expertise in addition to broad-based research. However, in order to exploit the potential and quickly put innovation into industrial practice, more research initiatives, practice-oriented training and robust infrastructures are needed.
“The pressure to transform is not only increasing on companies, but is also reaching universities. The goal must be practice-oriented teaching and demand-oriented transfer,” Sven Weickert agrees.
Prof. Dr. Heinrich Arnold adds on the challenges for science and business: “It is obviously part of the DNA of European companies to constantly reinvent themselves. However, this is not a matter of course. Especially in times of increasing transformation dynamics, it is important to work consistently on this and to allow more thematic diversity in products and innovation. However, this requires the interaction of science and business and places where such innovation ecosystems can emerge and grow.”
Stefan Kögl emphasized that the Siemensstadt Square future location with the WvSC innovation incubator is precisely such a place. This is where industry, SMEs, start-ups and research come together and work together on future projects that will be translated into practical applications and tested in the newly emerging urban district. This also provides SMEs with important access to innovation ecosystems, added Marian Schreier.
Many thanks to Dr. Fischer and the Senate Department for their funding and support, as well as the realization that it is precisely such places and infrastructures that are needed in order to develop and implement innovations.
The opening ceremony culminated in a ribbon cutting performed by our project managers Nadine Strehlke and Benjamin Blatz.