Seeking solutions
Current research on Light, Life, Liberty
Scouting as a catalyst for innovation
The new JENAINNOVATION transfer centre
The diagram illustrates the collaboration within JENAINNOVATION: the centre is supported by the University, the University Hospital and the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences.
Portrait of Ede Möser
Image: Anna PerepechaiFrom photonics to inflammation research: how JENAINNOVATION supports researchers in turning their ideas into real-world applications and spin-offs.
Text: Stephan Laudien
The JENAINNOVATION Innovation and Transfer Centre is pursuing the goal of positioning Jena as an international centre of high-tech excellence. Behind the initiative, which was launched in the autumn of 2025, is a consortium comprising the University of Jena, the University of Applied Sciences Jena and Jena University Hospital. Together, the partners are committed to ensuring that excellent research increasingly produces concrete applications, collaboration activities and spin-offs.
The starting position is strong: Jena boasts an excellent research ecosystem that is closely integrated with an internationally successful high-tech industry. Yet, a familiar pattern can be seen across many research hubs: even outstanding ideas do not always make the transition from laboratory to practical applications. There are often structural barriers between scientific discovery and its application in society or the economy: funding programmes are poorly coordinated, responsibilities and transitions are not clearly defined or there is a lack of suitable channels to facilitate the transfer from research to practice.
We link cutting-edge research with early application and real-world impact.
Ede Möser
»We see many excellent ideas and technologies, but all too often they still lack the structures in which they can truly flourish,« says Ede Möser, Head of JENAINNOVATION. This is precisely where JENAINNOVATION comes in. »We are establishing integrated innovation pathways that link cutting-edge research with early application and real-world impact,« says Möser. »Knowledge transfer needs to be considered from the outset.«
Innovation scouts: bridging the gap between research and application
Central to this approach are the »Innovation Scouts«. They work directly in the scientific fields that produce Jena’s most promising technologies: photonics and medical diagnostics, innovative materials and resource efficiency, as well as inflammation research and microbiome technologies, complemented by digital technologies and artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting field. The scouts come from a research background themselves and are therefore familiar with the dynamics of scientific work. Their role is to identify highly promising ideas at an early stage, develop them further in collaboration with researchers, and engage partners from the worlds of science, business and society. Whether an idea gains traction often depends on small nudges or targeted support at the right moment, says Ede Möser.
Being allowed to make mistakes is part and parcel of a vibrant innovation culture.
Gabriel Dörner
Portrait of Gabriel Dörner
Image: Anna Perepechai»But scouting alone is not sufficient,« says Gabriel Dörner, Communications and Events Manager at JENAINNOVATION. The scouts work closely with partners within the innovation ecosystem. »It’s a bit like a swarm of bees: ideas are discovered, developed collaboratively and then taken in different directions.«
To support this development, JENAINNOVATION provides various funding instruments: »Innovation Tickets« offer straightforward funding for early-stage research, prototypes or the first steps towards setting up a business. This is complemented by formats in which researchers and potential founders develop new solutions together with partners from business, society and academia. Access to cross-institutional research infrastructure also plays an important role in this.
Further strengthening the established innovation ecosystem
Overall, the initiative perceives itself as a guide and navigator, highlighting the complementary strengths of the participating institutions and providing direction within the innovation ecosystem. The aim is not to provide a short-term boost, but to build sustainable structures. Funding from the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung will create an important framework in the coming years, while over the long term, JENAINNOVATION will be established as a permanent transfer centre.
The aim is to be more systematic in translating scientific findings into marketable technologies, new businesses and solutions to societal challenges, as Ede Möser summarizes. This requires new spaces and a culture of collaboration and experimentation.
