Ruhr Innovation Lab
During the week of November 9–13, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day, the research funding offices at Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University will jointly offer a program for the “Funding Days” and provide information on securing external funding from various funding agencies.
The following week, from November 16 to 20, 2026, starting at 12:00 p.m. each day, the joint “Transfer Days” will take place for the first time. Together, the technology transfer offices of Ruhr University Bochum’s Worldfactory and the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) at TU Dortmund will provide information on various ways to facilitate technology transfer from research and teaching.
Looking for financial support for your research? Discover grant opportunities at our seminar “Funding Individual Research: Grant Opportunities.” Need research funding? Explore grants from the EU, DFG, and foundations—all in one seminar!
Speakers: Dr. Corinna Ottmann, Holger Kahle (Ruhr University Bochum), Dr. Julia Lönnendonker (TU Dortmund)
Language: English
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Funders are increasingly valuing research that has a real-world impact. Our seminar, “Integrating Transfer into Your Project Planning,” explores what funders expect in terms of knowledge and technology transfer—and how you can strategically plan for it.
Find out what to look for when reading a call for proposals to better understand funders’ expectations regarding the transfer and impact of research projects. Get an overview of the different opportunities for transfer and learn how to identify those that are most relevant to your project. The seminar will introduce a systematic approach to deriving suitable transfer activities based on the intended impact of your project.
Speaker: Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Beißert (Ruhr University Bochum, WORLDFACTORY)
Language: German
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
What is citizen science? What value does participatory research offer, and to whom? And how can we achieve genuine participation? This presentation provides an introduction to the citizen science approach and situates it within the current landscape of participatory research. Using real-world examples, the presentation will highlight the conditions necessary for successful citizen science and provide inspiration for implementing it on your own. It will also include tips on additional resources and time for questions and discussion.
Speaker: Wiebke Brink, Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH, Project Manager for mit:forschen!
Language: German
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The startup advisory sessions offered by Worldfactory (RUB) and the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (TU Do) provide a concise overview of the relevant funding programs for those interested in starting a business, with a focus on EXIST Research Transfer. Following a brief introduction to the services offered by CET and Worldfactory, two EXIST startup teams will share their practical experiences:
Finally, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion.
The seminar is aimed at researchers interested in starting a business.
Speakers:
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
As part of the Funding and Transfer Days, the Dortmund Information Center for Technology and Patents (ITP) provides a concise overview of intellectual property rights: patents, utility models, trademarks, and designs.
The focus is on technical intellectual property rights and the principle of “patent first, publish later.” Filing for intellectual property rights can help secure research results, enable research projects to be carried out using specific grants for patent validation, and lay the groundwork for spin-offs. In addition, the session will explain how freely accessible patent information can complement traditional literature searches for theses and research questions.
Speaker: Dr. Stephan Jekat, MBA; Director of the Information Center for Technology and Patents; University of Dortmund
Language: German
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Open-source software—and, increasingly, open-source hardware—is not only used at universities but is also being developed there more and more often. However, simply publishing source code or design files is usually not enough to attract many users or to cover at least part of the costs associated with development and maintenance.
This short seminar provides an overview of the framework conditions for open-source software and hardware, explains the factors involved in deciding for or against open source, and highlights various options for using, further developing, and financing open-source projects.
Speaker: Peter Häfner, Innocentric GmbH
Language: German
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
When does my research become news? When should researchers get involved in political and economic debates? What opportunities and risks are involved in public science communication? And what kinds of formats are there, anyway? — Based on the “Guiding Principles for Good Science Communication”, key technical and ethical principles are outlined, while also highlighting the specific characteristics of different disciplines. The Dortmund Chair of Science Journalism and the Rhine Ruhr Center for Science Communication Research will provide insights into the current state of research on the topic and offer practical tips.
Speakers: Prof. Holger Wormer / Tobias Kreutzer, TU Dortmund, Institute of Journalism
Language: German
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
