Minister Karliczek visits Aalen University of Applied Sciences : Date:
As part of the FH Dialogue between UAS and the BMBF that she initiated, Federal Minister Anja Karliczek met with representatives of Aalen University of Applied Sciences during a virtual visit on 26 May 2021.
The universities of applied sciences (UAS) play a special role in the German science system. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) therefore supports UAS with funding programmes specially tailored to their needs and a steady increase in funding for these programmes. In addition, Minister Karliczek has launched the FH Dialogue to establish an even more direct contact with the UAS. As part of this dialogue, she has recently met and talked with university administrators and students during a virtual visit to Münster University of Applied Sciences. “UAS are important for Germany as a location for science and business. That is why the BMBF has significantly expanded its funding for universities of applied sciences by about 50 percent in the current legislative period,” said the Minister.
On 26 May 2021, Minister Karliczek visited Aalen University in Baden-Württemberg, which is among the leading UAS in Germany regarding its research activities and has a strong focus on application-oriented materials research. Moreover, with SmartPro, Aalen University has successfully established one of the ten research partnerships funded via FH-Impuls: SmartPro develops smart materials and process technologies for energy-efficient products – an important contribution to the energy transition. To this end, Aalen University is successfully cooperating with regional companies that are mainly based in the automotive, mechanical engineering, toolmaking, and photonics sectors.
During the virtual visit to Aalen, the discussion focused on cooperation between UAS and industry in the region. The Minister met with the Rector, Professor Gerhard Schneider, as well as other university representatives and corporate partners from the university's surroundings. In addition to discussing opportunities for cooperation between UAS and companies, they also talked about how Aalen University can help to master transformation processes in the region. The meeting was rounded off with a presentation of start-up activities by start-ups at the university.
Minister Karliczek was impressed by the strong performance of the university and its regional partners: “Everything that makes UAS special – be it practical training and teaching, be it a focus on applied research in high-tech fields, or be it close cooperation and transfer to the economy – is united under one roof here in Aalen.”