At their joint meeting on 21 April 2026, the Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board of the Innovation Alliance Foundation Freiburg adopted a joint resolution on the strategic development of Freiburg as an innovation hub. Within the Innovation Alliance, the University of Freiburg works closely with partners from various sectors including academia, business, politics and public administration. The aim is to further develop the region as a leading centre for sustainable, socially driven and technology-based innovation and to secure its economic competitiveness in the long term. As a shared strategic framework, the resolution sets out the vision of an internationally attractive Freiburg innovation hub based on sustainability, technological sovereignty, social cohesion and trinationality.
Freiburg’s Lord Mayor and Chairman of the Foundation Board, Martin Horn, emphasises that “Freiburg is characterised by a unique combination of academia, business, social engagement and international networking. The resolution underscores that it is precisely this interplay that is crucial for harnessing innovation in a targeted manner to drive value creation, create jobs, secure a skilled workforce and ensure the future viability of our region.”
Prof. Dr Kerstin Krieglstein, Rector at the University of Freiburg, makes it clear: “The Innovation Alliance’s resolution sends a strong signal for Freiburg as a hub of innovation. Only when the various sectors in academia, business, society and public administration work together can we solve current and future societal challenges . To this end, the University of Freiburg contributes its outstanding strengths in research, innovation and start-ups, as well as its strong commitment to further strengthening the region’s competitiveness within the framework of the Innovation Alliance.”
“The challenges facing technology and business development today lie at the interfaces between disciplines, sectors and institutions. With this resolution, the Innovation Alliance Foundation is creating a framework to address these interfaces in a targeted manner and bring together cross-sectoral perspectives,” adds Jens Mohrmann, Managing Director of FWTM and Chairman of the Innovation Alliance Foundation.
Fostering further collaboration within academic, business, the city and the local government
A key focus of the resolution is to further develop a collaboration between the academic and business communities, the city and the local government through a sustainable and structured governance framework. The Innovation Alliance will serve as the strategic umbrella for this initiative and will be supported by a secretariat that will coordinate and implement joint activities and enhance their impact.
Innovation-driven value creation in fields such as sustainability, artificial intelligence and robotics
The Innovation Alliance Foundation’s key areas of focus are health and life sciences, sustainability and resilience, as well as digitalisation, artificial intelligence and robotics, with an emphasis on applied research, knowledge and technology transfer, and support for young and start-up companies. The resolution reaffirms the participating institutions’ commitment to innovation-driven value creation in these fields.
The Cluster4Future nanodiag BW: Diagnostic methods for cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
In addition to the strategic framework, the Innovation Alliance’s work is shaped by initiatives from the regional ecosystem. A recent example is the Cluster4Future nanodiag BW: this network, coordinated by Hahn-Schickard and the University of Freiburg, is developing diagnostic methods for cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease based on nanoporous technology and is entering its second phase with €15 million in federal funding.
