DESY driving co-operation between science and industry

14 September 2021

Third stop on Innovation Summer Tour - DESY and Science City Bahrenfeld boosting Hamburg's innovative strength

Katharina Fegebank, Senator for Science and Research, and Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economics and Innovation, visited the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld Wednesday (September 8, 2021) to see how co-operation between industry and science can be promoted in the future. Their visit is part of the new Hamburg Regional Innovation Strategy’s summer tour underway until September 16, 2021. Emphasis was on co-peration between DESY and the Hamburg-based dental company DMG and developing so-called compact accelerators.

DESY and Science City to link business and science

DESY and DMG are testing and optimizing materials for 3D printing for use in extreme environments. Medical technology or the jewellery design industry, for instance, could benefit from the research. "The collaboration between DESY and DMG is an example of what close networking between science and industry can look like," said Westhagemann. The City of Hamburg seeks to promote similar initiatives in future, especially in the context of the planned Science City Hamburg-Bahrenfeld, which will combine living, teaching, business and innovation nearDESY.

Boosting innovative power through knowledge transfer

The development of compact electron accelerators count among DESY's key projects. The researchers want to shrink facilities the size of a soccer field to the dimensions of a moving van and make their operation easier and automated. Recently, they succeeded in operating a compact accelerator around the clock. "We are accelerating innovation cycles by transferring this technology so that companies and universities can do their research on site," said Dr. Arik Willner, DESY's Chief Technology Officer. DESY seeks to strengthen the innovative power of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region by opening up to industry, according to Prof. Dr. Helmut Dosch, Chairman of the DESY Board of Directors.

Hamburg to tackle future issues strategically

The senate adopted the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) under the motto "Working together for a liveable city through innovation" in May. According to the strategy, a "courageous culture of innovation" is to be created based on new definitions of future-oriented issues such as health, climate and energy, mobility, data science and digitization as well as materials science and new materials. Fegebank commented: "As a knowledge metropolis, we have the concentrated expertise in one place." DESY with its "international networking, interdisciplinary approaches and unique research facilities", can ensure that new developments emerge from basic research in Hamburg, she added.

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