Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft für transferorientierte Forschung gGmbH der Steinbeis- Stiftung (FSG)

As a non-profit subsidiary, the Ferdinand Steinbeis Gesellschaft of the Steinbeis Foundation promotes collaborative and interdisciplinary research. Operating under this umbrella are the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute (FSTI) in Stuttgart and the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute Heilbronn on the Heilbronn Education Campus; both institutes are affiliated with Steinbeis University. Their work focuses on the question of how the purely technological changes associated with digitalisation and networking can also yield relevant benefits for society and the economy. All FSTI activities are based on the principle of ‘dual scientific research’, according to which scientific rigour goes hand in hand with social and, consequently, economic impact.

Since 2015, the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute Stuttgart has been coordinating activities in the context of digital transformation and technology convergence, and conducts transfer-oriented research in the field of digitalisation and networking. The FSTI’s interdisciplinary team of around 30 members, comprising early-career academics and established researchers, is driving the cross-sector implementation of digital transformation in companies based on the so-called micro-testbed methodology. The aim of this approach is to identify interdisciplinary value creation scenarios in specific projects and to implement these experimentally through collaborative partnerships between several companies (ecosystems). The micro-testbed method focuses on the implementation of small-scale application scenarios. In this way, new ecosystems, products and services emerge in the context of digitalisation and networking, utilising existing technologies. The result of the micro-testbeds is thus often a previously unimagined benefit for all involved.

The FSTI Heilbronn, established with the support of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation on the Heilbronn Education Campus, aims in particular to capitalise on the opportunities offered by digitalisation and, as a transfer-oriented research institute, to broaden the scope of the Heilbronn Education Campus, whilst also providing opportunities for innovative collaboration in research and teaching. The Heilbronn Education Campus offers the ideal conditions for this, and close cooperation with the universities and institutions based on the campus is planned.

The FSTI is the sponsor of the German regional team of the Digital Twin Consortium (DTC).

Steinbeis Transfer Magazine

• Pioneering the “new Mittelstand” (Transfer 2/2025)
  The Steinbeis Foundation Transfer Award honors a visionary partnership project in the intralogistics industry
• Dedicated builder of bridges awarded german order of merit (Transfer 2/2024)
  Professor Dr.-Ing. Norbert Höptner receives german president’s decoration
• Digital Transformation – an Opportunity for Mittelstand Enterprises (Transfer 2/2023)
  The Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute introduces SMEs to new business models and working in ecosystems
• Education Requires an Enthusiasm for Technology (Transfer 2/2023)
  The Interaktivrat of the #techourfuture initiative concludes its work
• No Progress Without Innovative Risk Management (Transfer 3/2022)
  Managing risk using the internet of things and artificial intelligence