Workshop at Romanian Steinbeis headquarters: 24 professors, cluster managers and representatives of ministries discussed how to combine work at university with successful entrepreneurship. The participants followed an invitation of Steinbeis Transfer Management S.R.L.

Steinbeis is one of the world’s most successful providers of know-how and technology transfer. Central to all projects we work on the success of our clients, co-workers and partners.

750 professors of German universities apply a proven model in transfering knowledge and technologies to the business sector. Becomming member of Steinbeis Network is profitable for the professors but also a win-win situation for the involved university and enterprise.

Jürgen Raizner, director of a Steinbeis Transfer Center since 1994, presented the business model of Steinbeis. An intensive discussion on detailes of how to benefit from this best practice followed.

A lot of Romanian professors and researchers act as entrepreneurs and sell services and technologies – additionally to their work at the university. Doing such business shows, that there is a demand. But why should every professor develop and establish his own business model, register a company, take care about administrating the legal entity instead of doing what a research likes to do best – to do research. Jürgen Raizner explained in detail how professors can enjoy the support and security offered by a centralized Steinbeis Framework. And this framework is available in Romania now.

Beside internal benefits regarding efficiency of doing business, participants understood that Steinbeis offers added values and synergies, such as

• being linked with experts and competences of more than 1,000 Steinbeis Transfer Centers
• better access to German enterprises as potential customers
• significantly better reputation when acting in name of Steinbeis
• availability of promotion tools and support in marketing

Several participants expressed their interest in joining the Steinbeis Network. Minimum three STC might be opened in nearest future. Jürgen Raizner works in Romania every month for at least some days. Individual meetings will follow soon. Now we thank the participants for the good and fruitful discussions.

The expansion of the Steinbeis Network in Romania is in line with the new work program that is agreed by the Mixed Governmental Commission Baden-Württemberg – Romania. Jürgen Raizner participated in the meeting (July 14th/15th).