From October 26 to 30, 2026, the FAU Innovation Days will celebrate the innovative strength of the FAU ecosystem. Innovation at FAU will be showcased in all its diversity, across all faculties, disciplines, and units: from methods to processes, systems, and solutions.
Students, researchers, stakeholders from business, politics, and society, and all other interested parties are invited to come along, contribute their own ideas, and be inspired. Various formats will offer opportunities to exchange ideas, network, and gain new food for thought.
Robotics and AI hackathon
October 22, 2026 – October 25, 2026
Siemens Healthineers Innovation Center, Henkestraße 127, 91052 Erlangen
Four days, real challenges, real prototypes: Shape the future of robotics and AI at the hackathon at the Siemens Healthineers Innovation Center (Erlangen). Work alone or in a team on real-world use cases – supported by experts from industry and academia. The hackathon is open to students, doctoral researchers, and professionals from the EELISA community.
Experiencing innovation.
Time and location:
Monday, October 26, 2026, time TBD
FAU, Green Office, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen
Try out FAU’s interactive escape game on energy saving to experience how team spirit and ingenuity can help conserve resources in our day to day lives. Solve exciting puzzles, have fun learning more about sustainability in the office, and discover effective saving strategies.
Time and location:
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 4 pm to 9 pm
FAU, Blaue Box, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen
The Hub Program opens its doors: Firsthand insights for interested innovators, founders, and impact makers. Talk to participants, experience how ideas turn into viable business models, and receive tips on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Time and location:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 5 pm to 6:30 pm
ZOLLHOF Tech Incubator, Zollhof 7, 90443 Nürnberg
For FAU alumni: Exclusive tour of ZOLLHOF – Tech Incubator. Discover the home of Germany’s first patent and experience startup culture firsthand. Learn how ideas become market-ready solutions – from prototyping and customer testing to venture capital. Take the opportunity to ask questions and gain exciting insights into the world of innovation.
Time and location:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 2 pm to 4 pm
Schaeffler Technology Center, Herzogenaurach
Explore the new Technology Center in Herzogenaurach – a hub for materials-based research for robust, efficient, and sustainable products. Come along and enjoy a tour of labs, the Motion Hub with eight product ranges, and selected production areas.
Time and location:
Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 2 pm
FAU, Blaue Box, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen
Leading FAU researchers will open their labs to offer insights into the innovative spirit of their departments. At the Innovation Walk, innovations in the fields of energy supply, medical engineering, and chip design will be showcased in practical and visually appealing demonstrations. Visitors can experience the entire journey from the initial idea to the prototype and finally to the market-ready product. The Innovation Walk vividly demonstrates how ideas evolve into concrete solutions for the future.
Shaping innovation.
Time and location:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 10 am to 1 pm
FAU, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen
Breakthroughs in high tech and deep tech have the potential to address some of the most pressing challenges currently facing society – provided they find their way out of the lab. In this joint interactive workshop by FAU and Bayern Innovativ, participants will examine how research can have a concrete impact in practice by becoming accessible and relevant to industry and society. Together, we will identify key obstacles to technology transfer and develop ideas to strengthen science communication, collaboration, and engagement within the ecosystem. The workshop encourages doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and Master’s students to reflect on their own role in innovation and to discover how they can become effective ambassadors for their research and technologies.
Time and location:
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 9 am to 7 pm
FAU, Blaue Box, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen
At the World Market Leader Innovation Day, leaders from politics, business, science, and society come together. Inspiring keynotes, technology trends such as AI and deep tech, and new alliances between SMEs and startups will demonstrate how ideas can be turned into market-ready solutions more quickly.
Time and location:
Friday, October 30, 2026, time TBD
digital
Startups pitch for talent: Young companies from the EELISA ecosystem are looking for co-founders, employees, or interns among EELISA students. They will present their company, the type of collaboration, and how their startup is expected to progress. Initial connections will be made during the subsequent matchmaking process. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program will also be introduced.
Time and location:
Date and time TBD
digital
The Siemens Research and Innovation Ecosystem Erlangen-Nuremberg (RIE) connects researchers and students from FAU with experts from Siemens AG. As an interface between these strong innovation partners, it initiates collaborations, supports projects, and opens doors to joint topics and talent within a strong network. A TechTalk will provide insights into selected projects. Detailed information about the speakers and content will follow.
Understanding innovation.
Time and location:
Monday, October 26, 2026
IZNF Forschungsbau, Cauerstr. 3, Erlangen | Seminar Room 00.156 + foyer + labs
Recent developments in microscopy now allow matter to be examined down to atomic resolution. The insights gained are of key importance for understanding highly topical scientific questions. Discover one of the most advanced transmission electron microscopes during a lecture and tour, and immerse yourself in the fascinating world of atoms.
Time and location:
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 12 pm to 12:30 pm, digital
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12 pm to 12:30 pm, digital
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 12 pm to 12:30 pm, digital
Friday, October 30, 2026, 12 pm to 12:30 pm, digital
Digital empowerment: Dr. Monica Hinrichs-Mayer (CIO-Office) will give short, practical tips for the digital workplace at FAU – working efficiently, communicating clearly, staying secure, and using AI reflectively. The series is aimed at FAU employees and consists of four sessions that can be attended independently of one another.
Time and location:
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 6 pm to 8 pm
JOSEPHS – The Open Innovation Lab, Augustinerstraße 19, 90403 Nürnberg
Renowned FAU scientists and experts from industry and startups will provide popular science insights into their work and discuss the latest developments and applications of artificial intelligence with the audience.
Time and location:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
IZNF Forschungsbau, Cauerstr. 3, Erlangen | Seminar Room 00.156 + foyer + labs
In the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1719 “ChemPrint – the next generation of printed semiconductors: Engineering on the atomic level using molecular surface chemistry”, researchers at FAU are investigating how to optimize the manufacturing processes and quality of semiconductors under specific physical and chemical conditions.
Semiconductor materials are used mainly in computers and mobile phones, but also in solar cells. Tailored chemical synthesis and deposition processes are being used to develop printable semiconductor materials. Tech startups like Automatic Research and ATLANT 3D Nanosystems successfully demonstrate the transfer of these innovative technologies into market-ready solutions.
Time and location:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, time TBD.
Ohm Innovation Center, Brucknerstraße 11, 90429 Nürnberg
At the Ohm Innovation Talks, experts provide insights into their research and engage in dialog with the audience. The open forum connects science, industry, and society through discussions of current trends, visionary projects, and practical applications centered around robotics.
Time and location:
Date and time TBD.
How do medical devices achieve market entry? In addition to technology, mastering regulation across the entire lifecycle is crucial. The FAU Profile Center Medical Engineering offers a seminar in English on medical device regulation together with experts from research and industry.
FAU startup café in ZAM
Saturday, October 31, 2026, 10 am to 12 pm
ZAM – Center for Exchange and Making, Hauptstraße 65-67, 91054 Erlangen
ZAM, together with Wirtschaftsjunioren Erlangen, the Economic Development Agency of the City of Erlangen, and FAU’s Startup Service, invites attendees to exchange ideas in a relaxed setting about topics related to entrepreneurship, founding a company, and startups. This time, the focus is on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the startup process: Where can AI tools be usefully deployed by startups? What are the opportunities and what are the limits? Feel free to bring your experiences and questions.
