Bridging the Gap Between University and Industry: Fresh Perspectives on Innovation

As part of the “1000+” project week at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), four TUM students were given the task of developing a comprehensive innovation process for MÜNZING.

It was great to see how the four of them perfectly combined their different backgrounds in classical Chemistry, Chemical Biotechnology and Sustainable Management & Technology with business acumen to come up with a well-rounded innovation approach.

They developed an innovation assessment tool to evaluate new ideas based on feasibility, relevance and potential impact and also directly came up with several recommendations for new ideas:

• Increase investment in biotechnology
• Development of bio-based additives from fruit peels, seeds and plant proteins
• Use of biodegradable raw materials such as xanthan gum, rosin and rice bran wax

To support their recommendations, the students proposed an implementation strategy that includes investment in pilot projects, the development of strategic partnerships and the creation of a dedicated biotechnology R&D team.

Our BU-Innovation team is truly impressed by the results achieved and the new perspectives for innovation that the project revealed to us. We were also able to offer the TUM students valuable insights into the industrial perspective and the process of implementing ideas in a corporate context.

We are very grateful to have been chosen by TUM to be part of the 1000+ project. We would especially like to thank the students for their dedication and valuable input!