Published on July 22, 2026
Impact Comes from Collaboration: Impact at the Intersection of Science, Startups, and Business
New ideas, scientific findings, and innovative technologies only realize their full value once they are put into practice. It is precisely this intersection between research, entrepreneurship, and business that is at the heart of the current discussion on impact. The KIT Business Club’s fireside evening, “Creating Impact-Perspectives at the Intersection of Business and Science,” provided the ideal setting to exchange different experiences and perspectives on the interplay between innovation and impact and how they come about.
Shoulder to Shoulder for Greater Impact
Dr. Stefan Schwartze, KIT’s Vice President for Finance, Human Resources, and Infrastructure and patron of the evening, articulated the overarching goal right at the start of the event: “In the future, we must do a better job of turning knowledge and new insights into tangible impact. To achieve this, researchers, founders, and corporate representatives should come together to share their perspectives, overcome obstacles, and seize opportunities.”
From a Bottleneck to an Opportunity
Prof. Christian Koos, Director of the Institute for Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ), provided a concrete example of successful impact. For many years, his research group has been investigating the fundamentals of photonic systems used in communications technology. However, in the context of increasing data processing-for example, by AI data centers-these technologies are currently gaining in importance. The focus is particularly on the physical interfaces for data exchange. These are currently considered a bottleneck but offer great potential for improvement through disruptive photonic technologies.
The highly specialized spin-offs from the IPQ serve as the perfect link for quickly making research-based solutions ready for industrial application and integrating them into the products of larger companies in particular. Koos does not view this process as a one-way street; rather, he emphasizes that application perspectives from industry must also be incorporated into academic work. In his view, this should even be strengthened and encouraged.
Stars – not shooting stars – make an impact
For Thomas Neumann, director of the KIT-Gründerschmiede in the Innovation and Relations Management (IRM) department, successful innovation begins with transmitting entrepreneurial thinking and action to students and researchers. For many years, the KIT Startup Incubator has been motivating KIT members to embark on the “Entrepreneurship Journey”: From that initial curiosity and desire to make an impact all the way to support through connections with commercial enterprises, funding programs, and investors, the KIT Startup Incubator covers it all.
The latest project associated with KIT is the NXTGN Startup Factory. It sees itself as a platform, starting point, and accelerator for the “next generation of small and medium-sized enterprises” in Baden-Württemberg. “The ingredients for new, long-term successful technology companies are there-now it’s a matter of combining them with the right recipe.” Collaboration with established companies, also known as “corporates,” plays a crucial role in this.
The Impact of Your Own Decisions
Isabel Grieshaber, Managing Partner of VEGA Grieshaber KG, recently challenged each participant to ask themselves the following question: What impact will my next decision have? After all, new technologies don’t emerge overnight. Their development is often a lengthy process marked by setbacks-such as when decisions turn out to be wrong in hindsight. This is precisely where Grieshaber comes in: If you want to enable innovation, you have to give people the freedom to try new things. This also includes the opportunity to make mistakes without having to fear negative consequences.
At the same time, successes should benefit everyone and be celebrated together. This is the only way to foster a culture of innovation in which everyone sees themselves as part of the whole. This, in turn, creates motivated teams that work together on technologies with real impact.
Awards for Tomorrow's Impact
KIT and its innovation ecosystem offer numerous opportunities to help shape the impact of tomorrow. To recognize individuals who make a special contribution through their ideas and developments, KIT launched the NEULAND Innovation Contest, featuring the categories “Ideas Award” and “Technology Transfer Award.” This year, for the first time, the awards ceremony took place as part of the KIT Business Club.
The Institute for Functional Interfaces (IFG) won this year’s Ideas Competition with a process that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as a valuable resource for the production of acetate. In the Technology Transfer category, the EXINOS 2 collaboration project from the wbk Institute of Production Science impressed the judges with its approach to improving the stacking process in battery production. Further details about the competition and the winners can be found on the NEULAND website. We congratulate all the winners and thank all participants!
A key takeaway from the day was that impact is a collaborative effort. Innovations emerge where people come together, share their knowledge, exchange experiences, and learn from one another. Chance encounters also play an important role in this process. Networks and institutions such as the KIT Business Club or the Technologiepark Karlsruhe (TPK) – with their diverse range of companies and organizations-create the conditions for chance encounters to give rise to new collaborations.
The strength of an innovation-driven ecosystem grows through the interplay of academia, the startup scene, and the business community. After all, while it usually starts with a single idea, it only becomes a true impact when many people work on it together. Or, to put it simply: Impact is a team effort.
One of the main purposes of the Fireside Evening is for participants to get to know one another and to foster connections between industry and academia. After the formal program, participants take advantage of the remaining time to engage in direct conversation. (Photo: KIT)
At the KIT Business Club’s fireside evening, guests gain new insights into the topic of “Impact” as it relates to science, startups, and business. (Photo: KIT)
Andreas Risch, Managing Director of the Technologiepark Karlsruhe, opened the doors for the KIT Business Club. He welcomed the guests to the fireside evening at the TPK. (Photo: KIT)
Exchange was the focus of the fireside evening: The dinner together provided an opportunity for more in-depth conversations among the groups of guests. (Photo: KIT)
More than 50 guests from the academic and business communities gathered at the TPK for the fireside evening in a wonderful setting. Following interesting presentations and the NEULAND award ceremony, the guests continued their discussions over dinner. (Photo: KIT)
Have one or more of these topics piqued your interest? We look forward to exchange ideas with industry partners.
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