A public Research Platform shall facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technologies between
small and medium sized enterprises and universities all over Europe. The University of Stuttgart
and the Economic Development in the Stuttgart Region initiated an alliance with three more European
regions and its regional Economic Development institutions to work this platform out. On June, 13th
the kick-off-meeting in Łodz/Poland initiated the 1,5 year project Open Research Platform (ORP)
with the University of Stuttgart as lead partner. The European Regional Development Fund provides
the overall subsidies for the project of EURO 580,000 in the framework of the EURIS-project
European Collaborative and Open Regional Innovation Strategies and the INTERREG IVc-programme.
The public research platform shall facilitate the first contact between enterprises and the
research institutions of the university. The platform forms the virtual frame for a market place of
ideas for enterprises and students with entrepreneurial ambitions. The Computer Department of the
University of Stuttgart will develop and modify the hardware for the Research Platform according to
the needs and interests of the involved enterprises and institutes. The pilot test for this project
already starts in 2011 with small and medium sized enterprises of Stuttgart region and institutes
of the University of Stuttgart to optimise the application. The University of Stuttgart advances
the transfer of knowledge and technology in Stuttgart region with this cutting-edge approach. The
Open Research Platform disseminates scientific results to advance the economic development of
Stuttgart region and gives the chance for local small and medium sized enterprises to contact the
research institutions of the University for specific scientific advise.
The European approach furthermore allows the international distribution and change of ideas
between the four regions involved in this project. Those are next to Stuttgart region the region
Navarra in Spain, represented by the
Universidad Pública de Navarra, the Transdanubian region, represented by the Széchenyi Istvan
University in Györ (Hungary), and the region Łodz in Poland, with three representatives, the
University of Łodz, the Medical University of Łodz and the Technical University of Łodz. A final
Conference in Stuttgart in autumn 2012 will present the Open Research Platform to the public.
For further information please contact Dr. Ulrich Eggert, Department Research and Technology
transfer, Tel. 0049 711 685 -82276, e-mail:
ulrich.eggert@verwaltung.uni-stuttgart.de.