How Thuringia systematically enables innovation – Innovation-supporting activities 2022–2024

Innovation ist ein zentraler Faktor für Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, Wertschöpfung und nachhaltige wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. Mit der Umsetzung der Regional Innovation Strategy Thuringia (RIS Thuringia) the Free State pursues the goal of strengthening future fields, accelerating knowledge and technology transfer, and systematically expanding the innovative capacity of companies. Above all, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should gain easier access to knowledge, infrastructure, and partners.

The RIS monitoring accompanies this process and makes R&D activities as well as innovation-supporting measures in the Free State visible. The factsheet "Innovation-supporting activities 2022–2024" shows: Thuringia has purposefully further developed and sustainably strengthened the framework conditions for innovation.

Key results at a glance:

• Rund 78 million € the Free State has invested in the Development and expansion of innovation and research infrastructure (innovation centers and equipment) invested to facilitate SMEs' access to large-scale equipment and test environments.

• 83 innovation vouchers‑Projekte wurden landesseitig bewilligt (> 3.1 million €) to finance feasibility studies, prototypes or industrial property rights. 

• 11 consulting and transfer centers for artificial intelligence (AI) begleiten Unternehmen bei der Anwendung von KI – mit Demonstratoren, Qualifizierungsangeboten und individueller Beratung. Seit 2024 sind diese Zentren aktiv vernetzt. 

• More than 50 Fachveranstaltungen promoted the exchange between business and science – from leading events such as InnoCON to thematic series such as InnoLOG and InnoMEET from Innovativ Thüringen. Over 600 actors are active in 15 Clustern und Netzwerken. Several carry excellence labels of the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (e.g., Gold for OptoNet).

• Numerous Business start-ups, Standorterweiterungen and New settlements unterstreichen die Attraktivität des Standorts, u.a. wurden 11 Start-ups gegründet, die ihren Sitz in Thüringen haben.

• The promotion of Fachkräften and Internationalization was specifically expanded. A total of 109 SMEs were supported with rd. 5,5 Millionen € supported for innovative personnel.More than 280 actors used the Foreign trade promotion, to open up new markets – supported by trade fair appearances and delegation trips.

Conclusion

In the years 2022 to 2024, the framework conditions for innovation – infrastructure, transfer, networks, skilled workers and internationalization – were further expanded and more closely interlinked. This gives companies the opportunity to systematically develop innovation projects from the very first idea and bring them to implementation more quickly.

Further information

The detailed results are published in the factsheet:

RIS-Monitoring: Innovation-supporting Activities 2022-2024