FAU remains at the top of the league in innovation
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has retained its position as one of the most innovative universities not only in Germany, but worldwide, and also remains a world leader when it comes to sustainability. These are the findings of the latest “Impact Ranking” from the British education magazine Times Higher Education (THE). The ranking evaluates how universities across the world contribute to the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On a national level, FAU has achieved excellent rankings for the SDGs and is thus among the best ranked universities in Germany.
Interview with Prof. Dr. Kathrin Möslein, Vice President Outreach at FAU
What makes a university innovative?
Prof. Möslein: There’s no secret recipe for innovation, but a clear list of ingredients – you need curiosity and openness, cooperation and diversity, inventiveness and implementation skills. This is demonstrated specifically in everything from joint projects, publications, and patents to prototypes and products with external partners going beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines and sectors while keeping in mind the great challenges of our times, for instance those encapsulated in the SDGs. It is also based on a university’s strong fundamental infrastructure for transferring and translating results from research into valuable contributions for society and the economy.
Here, FAU has…
- …set up a strong transfer network via the FAU community and the FAU alumni, with all members amplifying the results of academic research.
- …established an excellent range of courses for lifelong learning with its FAU Academy. It is especially important for the partners in the innovation ecosystem that they can count on the University as a reliable partner for the latest knowledge from research.
- …created a basis on which stakeholders can set their own interests to one side and work together to create new things with its numerous platforms for innovation and collaboration. These include, for example, the JOSEPHS open innovation lab in Nuremberg city center, the Digital Health Innovation Platform (d.hip) that facilitates collaboration between all partners in medicine and medical engineering, and many more.
- …a strong startup scene with the ZOLLHOF TechIncubator as a driver and pacemaker in the FAU innovation ecosystem. In fact, we have just been selected by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as a potential location for a future “Startup Factory” – and we are the only candidate based in Bavaria.
What do we find so fascinating about the THE Impact Ranking, which credits us with global leadership in innovation?
Prof. Möslein: The THE Impact Ranking is a special ranking, since it focuses on the efficacy of universities for the economy and society in their regional, national and international ecosystems. The efficacy of teaching and research is extremely important to all members of FAU, irrespective of any rankings.
It is also very important for all our partners. This is easy to explain: As a state university with a strong focus on research, we have the privilege of receiving funding for our work from the taxpayer. The fact that we can “repay” society for this funding and its trust in us with our achievements is the most important message a university can send.
The THE Impact Ranking addresses all aspects of the SDGs and is both the inspiration and commitment for us to continue to drive forward our strength in innovation and achievements for society every day.
FAU has achieved top rankings several times in a row now – can you secure success like this in the long term and if yes, how?
Prof. Möslein: The main question is not about how to keep your position in a ranking, but how you continue to develop your global leadership in innovation. This is a daily undertaking for all stakeholders at FAU. They dedicate themselves to teaching, research and knowledge transfer, which benefits society and the economy. If we can get people to appreciate this, we have already achieved a lot.
Of course, you can also choose to pursue particular indicators, focusing on those that are important for the economy and society. Bearing this in mind, we will use our strengths in patents and startups to focus on more IP-based startups in future. These are startups whose business models revolve around their own protected intellectual property. This is useful in the search for investors, for market growth and for standing up to the competition.
What does this top ranking mean for students and employees – do they benefit from it in any way?
Prof. Möslein: Everybody at FAU benefits from this accolade, especially the students, but also all employees across the university, irrespective of their subject area and level of expertise. After all, they are responsible for making us world champions in innovation. Think about it: Where does innovation come from? The most important impetus for new things usually arises from unconventional questions. And who asks these questions? Students in lectures and seminars who question the science. Doctoral candidates who dig deeper and make breakthroughs, early career researchers who passionately and doggedly pursue often seemingly crazy goals, or our knowledge management department that bridges the gap and helps us to overcome the barriers between disciplines and search for new solutions with external partners.
And those who generate innovation and make FAU shine in the face of global competition also always benefit from a boost to their reputation, even more encouragement, and excellent, curious and open-minded fellow students and co-workers. This is what FAU is about and this is why we all enjoy driving innovation. It makes studying even better and more exciting and research even more successful and effective, at the same time as strengthening the entire organization’s culture of innovation and making it even more of a magnet for people with innovative ideas.
The results of the THE Impact ranking: FAU is again at the top of the table for innovation
“There’s no secret recipe for innovation, but a clear list of ingredients – you need curiosity and openness, cooperation and diversity, inventiveness and implementation skills. Everybody at FAU benefits from this accolade, especially the students, but also all employees across the university, irrespective of their subject area and level of expertise. After all, they are responsible for making us world champions in innovation,” says Prof. Dr. Kathrin Möslein. The results of the ranking show that Möslein, who is FAU Vice President Outreach, and is responsible among other things for innovation at FAU, has real reason to be pleased: As in the previous year, FAU secured a place at the top – in the “Industry, innovation and infrastructure” sustainability goal (SDG 9). Here, the University came first both nationally and internationally. In addition to industrial partnerships, third-party funding and patents based on FAU research, initiatives that support start-ups from the University such as the Digital Tech Academy, the Existency network for entrepreneurs, Josephs, Zollhof and the FAU Start-up Service, were decisive factors for this outstanding result.
The results on a national level are also a reason to celebrate: FAU is in first place for the goals “Good health and well-being” (SDG 3) and “Affordable and clean energy” (SDG 7) and second place for the goals “Quality education” (SDG 4), “Sustainable cities and communities” (SDG 11) and “Responsible consumption and production” (SDG 12).
FAU achieves very good results in seven sustainability goals
“The THE Impact Ranking is special, since it is focuses on the efficacy of universities for the economy and society in their regional, national and international ecosystems,” explains Kathrin Möslein. “The THE Impact Ranking addresses all aspects of the SDGs and is both the inspiration and commitment for us to continue to drive forward our strength in innovation and achievements for society every day.” A target that FAU takes seriously. Instead of resting on its laurels, the University participated in the ranking for two further SDGs “Responsible production and consumption” (SDG 12) and “Peace, justice and strong institutions” (SDG 16) in order to improve how it assesses its own contribution to the sustainability goals. And for both goals, FAU achieved excellent results nationally from the outset: Second place for “Responsible production and consumption” (SDG 12) and eighth place for “Peace, justice and strong institutions” (SDG 16).
Top rankings for health and energy
The University achieved first place in Germany for “Good health and well-being” (SDG 3) due to the services it provides for its students and staff related to physical and mental well being as well as for services for society in general such as the teddy bear hospital or the free health magazine “Gesundheit erlangen”. FAU also achieved especially good results in this area on an international level.
The outstanding research carried out at the FAU Solar Profile Center and at Energie Campus Nürnberg (EnCN) enabled the University to achieve top results in the category “Affordable and clean energy” (SDG 7) as it ranks first place in Germany and has moved up a place in the international comparison. Internationally, FAU achieved especially good results in the “Energy and society” category. Start ups such as “Amperial” were a decisive factor.
Great success for lifelong learning and culture
In “Quality education” (SDG 4), FAU moved up one position in the ranking and even achieved full marks in the “Measures for lifelong learning” category with its comprehensive training program and range of services such as the FAU Academy. On an international level, the University also moved up one position in the ranking for “Sustainable cities and communities” (SDG11) and performed particularly well in the “Promotion of art and cultural heritage” category because it allows free access to the University Library and offers a wide range of cultural events such as concerts and events held by the University orchestra.
About the THE Impact Ranking
Various criteria for the THE Impact Ranking were drawn up on the basis of the 17 economic, social and ecological sustainable development goals of the United Nations in order to allow a comparison and assessment of universities across the globe. Universities are allowed to choose themselves which areas to apply for. For this year’s ranking, FAU selected the following sustainability goals: “Health and well-being”, “Quality education”, “Affordable and clean energy”, “Industry, innovation and infrastructure”, “Sustainable cities and communities”, “Responsible consumption and production”, and “Peace, justice and strong institutions”.
Further information
Dr. Amelie Feder
Data and Management Information
amelie.feder@fau.de