From April 2017 to June 2021, a team consisting of the Technopolis Group, the Stifterverband and inspire research was entrusted with the scientific monitoring of FH-Impuls and the networking of the FH-Impuls partnerships. The aim of the accompanying research for FH-Impuls was to evaluate the funding line with regard to the achievement of the funding policy objectives, the appropriateness of the instruments chosen, and an early assessment of the results and impacts achieved by the FH-Impuls partnerships. In addition, it served to network the FH-Impuls partnerships and to exchange experiences on best practice examples and lessons learned.

As part of a monitoring process, the team collected and scientifically evaluated data on the research and innovation activities of the funded UAS. To this end, on-site visits and discussions at all ten partnerships were organized. In addition, online surveys of various target groups were conducted at funded UAS and other universities of applied sciences. The results are summarized in the closing report, available for download in the right-hand column.

An FH-Impuls service centre supported the exchange of information and networking between the FH-Impuls partnerships. The service centre organised a series of events and held so-called transfer workshops with the aim of exchanging experiences of the FH-Impuls partnerships on selected topics. In addition, the FH-Impuls service centre produced a newsletter and other thematic publications. The findings and lessons learned from the events were summarized in two dossiers for other interested UAS. Both dossiers are available for download in the right-hand column.

Kick-off meeting and closing symposium of the FH-Impuls accompanying research

On 4 and 5 October 2017, the ten FH-Impuls partnerships met in Berlin during the kick-off meeting of the accompanying research. Representatives of the research-focused UAS and the participating companies presented their respective research and innovation partnerships and showed how they would like to jointly trigger significant impulses in research, development and innovation in the region and beyond in the coming years.

To conclude the FH-Impuls accompanying research, an (online) symposium was held on 9 June 2021. The event focused on the experiences of the partnerships in the first funding phase and discussed development perspectives for research at UAS.

In particular, the central results and “lessons learned” from the first four years of FH-Impuls funding were presented. The partners showed how the initiation, implementation, and further development of strategic research and innovation partnerships at UAS can succeed. In addition, the symposium served to intensify networking between UAS, partnerships, and other actors in the science and innovation system.

In connection with the conference, a comprehensive final publication on the experiences, learnings and successes of the years 2017 to 2020 was produced, which is also available for download in the right-hand column.