Helmholtz Innovation Labs

The Helmholtz Innovation Labs programme funds and establishes maker-/hackerspace-style laboratories at Helmholtz research centres to foster collaborative technology development between science and industry. The programme supports concepts that embed physical enabling spaces for iterative testing, validation and user-centred development and that involve industry partners such as SMEs or large companies. Innovation Labs may provide access to specialized research infrastructure and enable long-term strategic cooperation, including Open Innovation Labs and User Innovation Labs. Funding is provided by the Helmholtz Association for multi-year establishment and operation of selected labs.

Multi-year funding for lab establishment and operation; access to Helmholtz research infrastructures and specialized facilities; facilitated partnerships with industry and access to testing/validation environments.

Concepts that involve SMEs and/or large companies as partners and that are embedded at Helmholtz research centres; Innovation Labs are to be established at Helmholtz centres and involve cooperation between centre researchers and industry partners.

Selection via competitive, multi-stage selection procedure (examples cited: two-stage selection, interim evaluation after initial funding period).