Innovation platforms and networks

Spotlight: From ZOLLHOF to ZOHO Factory

Previously ZOLLHOF, now ZOHO Factory! The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has recognized FAU for its concept developed in conjunction with the ZOLLHOF.
Working in collaboration, the start-up incubator is to become a powerful start-up factory for North Bavaria. In future, it will allow many more ideas to be put into practice, leading to even more start-ups and success stories. We look forward to welcoming you on board – exciting times are ahead! More about ZOLLHOF

Innovation platforms and networks

Play your part in innovation at FAU FAU’s innovation platforms, networks, partnerships and collaborations welcome your contributions to all steps of the FAU Innovation Cycle: Discovery – Development – Evaluation – Decision-making.

A selection of our current partners and networks that actively support the FAU innovation cycle.

Discover innovation

Curiosity and dedication are important factors in innovation processes. FAU invites talented individuals who have a great deal of curiosity and are highly dedicated to join us in discovering innovation. The FAU Digital Tech Academy is our launch pad for all those who would like to discover innovation with us.

The Digital Tech Academy is the interdisciplinary hub for digitalization and entrepreneurship at FAU. It is based in the Office of Knowledge and Technology Transfer and Continuing Education (wtt), which is the central point of contact for spin-off services, joint R&D projects, IP management, training and event management.

Developing innovation

Would you like to take an active part in driving innovation? Then JOSEPHS®, the open innovation lab in Nuremberg city center, is just the place for you. JOSEPHS® offers both individuals and entire organizations an exciting range of services for innovation. Start developing your ideas:

JOSEPHS is an open innovation lab that was set up as a project in 2014 by Fraunhofer IIS with the support of the Chair of Information Systems 1 at FAU. The aim of the lab is to discover the future and experience the creative world of product and service development. Test new ideas in our workshop and play an active role in creating and improving innovations. Your feedback is passed on directly to the companies involved.

JOSEPHS’ website

Evaluating innovations

Do you have a great idea, an initial concept, maybe also a prototype and a strong team with which you’d like to start a company? Then you should put your ideas to the “start-up test” and have your proposal evaluated. ZOLLHOF, the digital start-up center at FAU, is the right place for you. With the help of talented entrepreneurs, you will quickly learn how you can turn your idea into a market-ready innovation or set up your own company.

Since 2017, FAU’s tech incubator has assisted more than 100 start-up teams at an early stage in their journey with validating their ideas and successfully launching them onto the market. 70 percent of these start-ups are still on the market and doing well today. As a digital health hub, ZOLLHOF is part of the digital hub initiative run by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and 30 percent of the start-up teams are from the health sector.

The Financial Times has recognized ZOLLHOF as one of “Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs 2024”.

With its Talent Program, ZOLLHOF also aims to spark students’ enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. During a three month innovation challenge, interdisciplinary teams work on real-life issues from established companies and receive coaching in methods, know-how and entrepreneurship at the same time. The program can act as a launch pad for success. FAU alumnus Matthias Trost first became a partner manager at ZOLLHOF before becoming a successful entrepreneur himself after launching his green tech start-up Amperial in 2022.

Current events in ZOLLHOF

Deciding on innovations

For when things really start getting serious, you can choose to work with professionals from large corporations and medium-sized business to develop high-performance products and processes in the context of real entrepreneurial innovation. LZE is the right place for you in this case.

The High-Performance Center builds on the many years of intense collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institutes and FAU as well as the unique concentration of research and industry in the field of electronic systems in Erlangen and the surrounding Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. Excellent research and joint planning form the basis for an extensive long-term strategic partnership between Fraunhofer, FAU and industry. The pilot phase for the High Performance Center for Electronic Systems started in January 2015 and is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology.

Shaping sustainable innovations

Workshops, laboratories, prototypes: On a floor area of 480 square meters in the former AEG premises in Nuremberg, the “NKubator” is available to help boost the sustainability of your start-up, both when it comes to the company itself as well as when developing products and ideas. The IdeenWerk package is aimed at sparking the creativity of founders and their staff, StartupWerk offers floor space and support for green start-ups and SustainAbility helps start-ups develop sustainable business activities.

The “NKubator” is funded by the city of Nuremberg. It is operated by ENERGIEregion Nürnberg e.V., a skills and cluster initiative committed to the topics of energy and environment in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. Other project partners behind the “NKubator” are the Department for Economic Development at the city of Nuremberg, the Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems (FAPS) at FAU and Energieagentur Nordbayern GmbH. All the partners have many years’ experience in supporting start-ups in the region and have strong ties to research and industry for encouraging sustainable success.