History of the Steinbeis Network

2025 | Steinbeis today

More than 40 years have passed since the Steinbeis Foundation was reorganized in 1983 as a start-up with the business idea of ​​a platform for company formations. What began with five technical consulting services at universities in Baden-Württemberg has grown into a network of more than 1,000 companies by 2025. Within this network, 4,800 people are actively involved in practical knowledge transfer with commitment and passion.

To ensure the network's future viability, six long-standing Steinbeis employees have been managing directors of Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG for Technology Transfer since 2025. The board of the Steinbeis Foundation will focus in the future on fulfilling its responsibility for the Steinbeis network and its further development.

2019 | Ferdinand Steinbeis Society for Transfer-Oriented Research

As a further development of the research at the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute, Steinbeis founded the Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft für transferorientierte Forschung gGmbH der Steinbeis-Stiftung (FSG). As a non-profit subsidiary, the FSG promotes cooperative and interdisciplinary research.

2015 | Digitalization and Technological Convergence

The Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute of the Steinbeis Foundation (FSTI) now coordinates activities in the context of digital transformation and technological convergence and conducts transfer-oriented research in the field of digitalization and networking. The FSTI is also an affiliated institute of Steinbeis University.

2008 | Expertise and Exchange

With the first Stuttgart Competence Day, Steinbeis begins establishing three central forums for the areas of Competence, Consulting, and Engineering, along with their respective conferences.

2005 | Pooling Expertise

Founded in 2005, Steinbeis Beratungszentren GmbH and Steinbeis Forschungs- und Innovationszentren GmbH combine expertise in consulting and coaching, as well as market- and transfer-oriented research and development. In addition to Steinbeis Transfer Centers and Transfer Institutes, Steinbeis Research and Innovation Centers and Steinbeis Consulting Centers are now also being established as points of contact and problem solvers for businesses.

2004 | Change of Leadership

Johann Löhn stepped down as Chairman of the Board of the Foundation in 2004. The new board also assumed the dual role of Managing Director of both the Steinbeis Foundation and Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer. Steinbeis awarded its first Steinbeis Foundation Transfer Award – the Löhn Award – for outstanding transfer projects in competitive knowledge and technology transfer.

2003 | Publishing Knowledge

Steinbeis establishes its own publishing house, Steinbeis Edition, which publishes specialist publications by experts from the Steinbeis network. Steinbeis Edition is a key element in realizing the Steinbeis Foundation's mission: to make scientific findings available to the business community.

1998 | Restructuring

In 1998, the Steinbeis network underwent a reorganization. Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer was established as a new operational unit to separate the significantly expanded business activities from the foundation's responsibilities. The same year also saw the founding and state accreditation of the private Steinbeis University (SH). Johann Löhn became its first president, a position he held until 2018.

1990 | German Reunification

Steinbeis' activities in the new federal states begin. The European Affairs Officer of the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economic Affairs is integrated into the Steinbeis Foundation.

1983 | Milestone

Arguably the most important milestone came in 1983 at the instigation of the then Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, Prof. Dr. h. c. Lothar Späth, with the appointment of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Johann Löhn as the first government commissioner for technology transfer. In this role, Löhn supported the state government in promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) until 2006. Simultaneously, Löhn assumed the full-time chairmanship of the board of the Steinbeis Foundation, which he had restructured. This operational unity of government office and privately organized implementation enabled numerous synergies and rapid growth for the foundation. Löhn focused on establishing transfer centers, initially only at the state's universities of applied sciences, which, in addition to providing consulting services, were primarily dedicated to concrete, specialized project work with clients. Today, there are centers at all types of higher education institutions and numerous research institutions.

1971 | Founding of the Foundation

After being dissolved during the hyperinflation of 1923, the foundation was revived in 1971 as a foundation under civil law. Its mission was to promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Baden-Württemberg, and it utilized the technical advisory services at Baden-Württemberg's universities of applied sciences, which served as contact points for SMEs. These services connected SMEs with experts for technical issues.

1969 | Foundation Stone

At five universities in Baden-Württemberg, professors establish the first Technical Advisory Services (TBD) as contact points for small and medium-sized enterprises.

1868/69 | Origin

The foundation for today's Steinbeis Foundation was laid by its namesake, Ferdinand von Steinbeis, as early as the 19th century: Entrepreneurs thanked him for his commitment to economic development with a financial contribution that made the establishment of the first Steinbeis Foundation in 1868/69 possible, to promote the vocational training of young people.