Founded in 1971, the development of the Steinbeis Foundation into today’s Steinbeis Network reached a major milestone in 1983. Professor Johann Löhn, president of the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences at the time, and Lothar Späth, the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg at the time, made a major step towards entrepreneurial knowledge and technology transfer with the complete restructuring of the Foundation. In its publication "Steinbeis 1983-2013", which was issued to coincide with the Steinbeis Day, Steinbeis takes a look back at the key milestones over the past three decades. We would like to use this TRANSFER article to highlight some of the signposts along the way.
As early as 1969, professors at five universities in Baden-Württemberg founded the first Technical Consulting Services (TCS), whose role was to support small and medium-sized enterprises. In 1971, the Steinbeis Foundation was established to provide an organizational umbrella for these Technical Consulting Services. Its founders were ten industry associations, research institutions and private individuals. By 1982, 16 TCSs acted as trusted technical partners to small and medium-sized businesses in Baden-Württemberg.
1983
What is the best way to help SMEs keep pace with structural change? This was the question Lothar Späth posed to a research commission. One of its key recommendations was to install Johann Löhn as a government commissioner for technology transfer, in a combined role as chairman of the Steinbeis Foundation. This paved the way for the Steinbeis Network.
1986
Backed by the state, in 1983 Steinbeis started offering SMEs free, short consulting sessions, and in 1984 “development management” was introduced. Both services aimed to help small SMEs in the state optimize internal processes. The Network expanded, a development clearly reflected by the move to the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart, which has been the headquarters of Steinbeis ever since. The state-run Communication Technology Coordination Center (CTCC) was affiliated with Steinbeis to advise companies on how to deal with the changing nature of communication technology.
1989
In the year the Berlin Wall came down, Steinbeis founded its 100th transfer center and started publishing the TRANSFER bulletin, the predecessor of today’s TRANSFER magazine.
1990
Steinbeis became active in the newly formed German states, and in the years that followed transfer centers were set up at the Technical Universities in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The Commissioner for Europe of the Minister for Economic Affairs in Baden-Württemberg started working within the remit of the Steinbeis Foundation and was given responsibility for running the recently founded Steinbeis-Europa- Zentrum.
1991
Aside from technology centers, management centers were introduced to offer management consulting and “management on demand.” The first Steinbeis Transfer Center outside Germany was established in Austria.
1995
Steinbeis Transfer Centers were now being set up at other kinds of universities in Baden-Württemberg and universities of cooperative education. These “free” centers were mainly managed by experts who were not working at science and research establishments. Compared to 1989, the number of transfer centers had doubled.
1998
Since 1983, the Network had enjoyed continuous expansion and it was time to adapt its structure. Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer (StC) was set up as the operative arm of the organization in broader business areas and for all transfer services. In the same year, Steinbeis founded its own state-approved private university, Steinbeis University Berlin (SHB). Based on a model known as the “Project Competence Concept,” SHB started offering students and companies degree programs recognized by the state. It also engaged in research into business-related issues.
2000
To support spin-offs of Steinbeis enterprises and buy equity holdings in promising new companies, Steinbeis set up Steinbeis Beteiligungs-Holding (SBH).
2003
Knowledge needs to be captured in writing: Steinbeis set up its own publishing arm, Steinbeis-Edition, to produce specialist publications issued by the Steinbeis Network. These included selected titles and series written by Steinbeis experts on management and technology topics, companion publications for conferences or special events, and dissertations.
2004
After 20 years of spearheading the development and expansion of Steinbeis, Johann Löhn was succeeded as chairman of the board. He is made honorary trustee of the Steinbeis Foundation and assumes his role as president of Steinbeis University Berlin, a role he still fulfills today. To honor the outstanding achievements of Johann Löhn, Steinbeis introduced the Steinbeis Foundation Transfer Award – the Löhn Award. The prize is still awarded annually at the Steinbeis Day for excellence in competitive knowledge and technology transfer.
2005
The Network continues to grow, making it increasingly important to differentiate more clearly the portfolio of services on offer at the centers. With immediate effect, classic Steinbeis transfer centers and institutes were also supplemented by Steinbeis research and innovation centers, as well as Steinbeis consulting centers. Steinbeis started offering the short consulting sessions through its own funding. These had previously been backed by the Ministry for the Economy. To date, some 2,000 consulting sessions have been requested.
2008
Steinbeis stages the first Stuttgart Competence Day, setting up three central forums in the fields of competence, consulting and engineering, including specialist conventions. The recently founded Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute begins helping the Network with the coordination and conducting of studies. Close collaboration between Steinbeis and universities resulted in the first cooperative company, a kind of joint Transfer Enterprise set up at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.
2012
Steinbeis organizes the first Max Syrbe Symposium, focusing on the prerequisites of successful science and research management. The event is named after the long-standing chairman of the Steinbeis Foundation board, who passed away in 2011.
2013
What began as five Technical Consulting Services at Baden-Württemberg universities of applied science, has now grown into a network of around 1,000 Steinbeis Enterprises. This network encompasses over 6,000 people with a commitment and passion for entrepreneurial knowledge and technology transfer.
Issued by Steinbeis-Edition, this publication provides an overview of the key stages of development of the Steinbeis Network over the last 30 years. The publication is free and can be ordered in German or English by going towww.steinbeis-edition.de.