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The 2009 Löhn Award: submissions open

The Löhn Award recognizes outstanding transfer projects in fields using competitive technology along with knowledge transfer between science and business. The jury pays special attention to transfer projects achieving above-average results in carrying out and completing the transfer process. The award is open to Steinbeis companies and customers who have been involved in a transfer project.

In particular, success is measured by the quality of the actual transfer process, the success of the transfer, and discernible transfer potential. The hallmark of successful transfer is quality, expediency, economic viability and a good working relationship between the transfer partners. Transfer potential and transfer success are reflected in the usefulness of the project to each party involved – tantamount to commercial success for both the “know-how provider” (the Steinbeis Enterprise) and the “know-how recipient” (the customer). Prize winners are chosen by a jury made up of members of the Steinbeis Foundation Board of Directors and the Chairman and Honorary Trustees of the Steinbeis Foundation Board of Trustees. In addition to the unique Löhn Award sculpture, a prize of up to 60,000 euros is awarded to companies or researchers involved in the transfer project. The prize money may be awarded to a single project or divided between several winning projects. Prizes are bestowed during the annual Steinbeis Day. Submissions for this year’s Löhn Award are open until 31 May 2009. You can find more information, including application forms, online, at the address below.

Contact

Steinbei Foundation (Stuttgart)
Application an information:
www.loehn-preis.de

Federal Minister of Building, Wolfgang Tiefensee, recognizes sustainable buildings

For the first time, the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) awarded its new Sustainable Building Certificate to selected buildings in Germany, at a ceremony at the BAU 2009 trade fair in Munich. The Steinbeis Transfer Center for Energy, Building and Solar Engineering in Stuttgart actively developed this certificate from day one.

Auditors Thilo Dülger and Dr. Boris Mahler (from the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Energy, Building and Solar Engineering) applied their expertise during the pilot phase. The “Z-zwo“ building in Stuttgart and the Vileda building in Weinheim both received Silver Certificates.

The primary goal of sustainable building is quality – in every aspect. Sustainable buildings are designed to be economically efficient, eco-friendly and use resources best. They provide a comfortable, healthy environment for occupants, and are optimally adapted to their socio-cultural setting. This means sustainable buildings retain their high value in the long term – for investors, owners, and occupants.

Creating a sustainable building means keeping the big picture in mind throughout design, construction, use and end of live. Considering the building’s life cycle is crucial, as is focused communication between the parties involved in design. In doing so solutions of tomorrow come into practice today.

European research committee appoints Petra Püchner

In June 2006, the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocˇnik, created a number of advisory committees to consult on the implementation of the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Two years on, these committees have new lineups. Dr. Petra Püchner, managing director of the Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum Stuttgart, has been appointed to the committee on research for SMEs.

The committee focuses on small and medium- sized enterprises and provides advice to the European Commission on strategic issues regarding the SME research programmes and their implementation. Other areas which Petra Püchner will advise on include improving participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in all types of research programmes, and encouraging better networking of the different research programmes relevant to SMEs.

Petra Püchner has been with Steinbeis- Europa-Zentrum (SEZ) since 1995. As the centre’s managing director, in recent years she has implemented numerous measures to support SMEs in Baden-Württemberg supported by the European Commission.and has encouraged innovation. This also includes the only EU project targeted specifically at female entrepreneurs and scientists to smoothen their access to European research programmes.

The SEZ has been a member of the European Commission’s Enterprise Europe Network since January 2008. The network consists of around 600 partners in over 40 countries. Its mission is to support companies in areas concerning Europe, innovation, research and technology transfer, and to encourage the dissemination of European research results. The SEZ is a member of the Baden- Württemberg consortium, together with the organisation Handwerk International Baden- Württemberg, the Ministry of Economics Baden-Württemberg, and seven local chambers of commerce and industry.

Federal Cross of Merit for Jürgen van der List

In January, Professor Dr. Jürgen van der List was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit in Esslingen. Van der List was principal of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences until entering retirement in 2007 and manages the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Microelectronics since 1991.

“Jürgen van der List has always promoted close cooperation between universities, industry and commerce, resulting in many promising partnerships and productive affiliations,” explained State Secretary Dr. Dietrich Birk, who bestowed the award. The Steinbeis Transfer Center for Microelectronics set up by Jürgen van der List has developed into one of the leading transfer bodies in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Birk explained how van der List invested great personal energy in facilitating the development of technology transfer at the Göppingen campus, and lauded his honorary commitments to art and culture.

Jürgen van der List studied electrical engineering in Karlsruhe, graduating in 1970. After working in Berlin and Dusseldorf, in 1980 he was recruited by what was at the time Esslingen University of Engineering. Van der List set up the new faculty of microelectronics at the off-site campus in Göppingen before being appointed principal in 1997.

iNTeg-Risk to descend on Stuttgart

The 1st iNTeg-Risk Conference will be held in the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart from 2-3 June 2009. The host of the conference is the European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management (EU-VRi), co-founded by the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Advanced Risk Technologies in 2006.

EU-VRi is both partner and sole coordinator of iNTeg-Risk (Early Recognition, Monitoring, and Integrated Management of Emerging New Technology-Related Risks) – the flagship project of the European Commission’s FP7 program.

This project brings together over 80 partner firms from industry, science and research, with one aim: to address the risks of future technologies with a single, unified voice. Different project phases will focus on identifying these risks. The next step will be to put in place the means to establish a single European risk management system, and establish an integrated approach to the challenges posed by risks related to new materials and technologies over the next 10 to 20 years.

Over 200 attendees from business, research and politics are expected at this first annual conference, which aims to provide an overview of the initial phase of this cutting edge, Europe-wide interdisciplinary project, as well as forecast its future.

Contact

Daniel Balos
Steinbeis Advanced Risk Technologies GmbH (R-Tech) (Stuttgart)
stz1190@stw.de

Michael Löscher
European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management (EU-VRi) (Stuttgart)

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