InnoCON Thuringia 2026

What companies can take away from InnoCON Thüringen 2026

Today, innovations rarely originate within a single company. New technologies are becoming more complex, development cycles shorter, and markets more dynamic. Therefore, anyone who wants to innovate successfully needs more than just good ideas: they need the right partners.

That was precisely the focus of InnoCON Thüringen 2026 in Erfurt. Under the guiding principle of "Success through Cooperation and Networking," representatives from business, science, politics, and innovation networks discussed how collaboration contributes to innovation success, what challenges arise, and what factors characterize successful collaborations.

The key finding of the event: Innovation arises where different skills come together, knowledge is shared, and companies develop new solutions together with research institutions, networks, and customers.

InnoCON demonstrated, using numerous practical examples from Thuringia and beyond, which success factors are crucial and what companies can take away from this for their own innovation projects.

Innovation begins with the right understanding

In his keynote address, Rudi De Winter, long-time CEO and current supervisory board member of X-FAB, clearly demonstrated how X-FAB has developed into one of the world's leading microchip manufacturers since its founding in Erfurt in 1992. The company relies on a combination of complementary competencies and strategically integrates partners who complement its own expertise, contribute new perspectives, and provide access to additional technologies or markets. Furthermore, they involve their customers early in development processes, collaborate with lead customers, and continuously gather feedback. For them, this translates into faster learning cycles, reduced development risks, and targeted new products.

The keynote's message was therefore also a clear recommendation for companies: those who want to accelerate innovation should not view collaborations as a supplement, but as an integral part of their innovation strategy.

High-tech from Thuringia for global markets

De Winter illustrated what successful cooperation can look like in practice with a success story from Erfurt. Here, one of the world's smallest contactless temperature sensors was developed, which can now be used in consumer and medical technology applications (e.g., smartphones, wearables) and is targeting markets in Asia and the USA. This success is based on the interplay of semiconductor technology and optics. De Winter also sees great potential in Thuringia in the interplay of photonics and microelectronics.

Cooperation as a successful model: Examples from research and business

InnoCON demonstrated how collaboration works in practice from different perspectives – from vivid success stories to concrete project pitches and joint reflection in the workshop.

The event began with three film examples from Thuringia, which impressively illustrated how cooperation can lead to marketable innovations. 

In the NanoAR research project, partners from science and industry are collaborating on novel nanostructured surfaces for high-performance optics. Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH contributes its expertise in the development and synthesis of special nanopowders, thus creating a key foundation for the new materials.

The MOVEwell project takes a different approach. Partners from industry and research are jointly developing solutions for more sustainable mobility in rural Thuringia. The focus is on a digital platform that will provide employees of the Bad Berka Central Clinic with access to flexible and sustainable mobility options, from carpooling to on-demand transport.

The Horizon Europe project NewLife exemplifies international cooperation. Partners from six European countries are developing innovative monitoring solutions for pregnant women and newborns. One example is smart textiles with integrated sensors that can collect health data wirelessly.

Further practical examples underscored the diversity of cooperation among Thuringian companies – from well-established regional collaborations to international alliances – as well as the importance of networks for complex innovation projects. These included the development of a multi-sensor system for industrial production environments (Tridelta Weichferrite GmbH), a campus network for industrial applications (Adtran Networks SE), new methods for artificial respiration (neuroConn GmbH), and energy-generating textiles with graphene (Born GmbH – knitwear for fashion & engineering). 

In the workshop with Oliver Mauroner, Professor of Technology-Oriented Innovation and Start-up Management at Hof University of Applied Sciences, the participants discussed typical obstacles to cooperation such as unclear goal definitions and role distributions, complex coordination processes, lack of commitment ("keyword cooperation graveyard"), limited personnel resources and a lack of knowledge management – ​​and jointly developed solutions. 

What successful projects have in common

Concrete recommendations for action could be derived from the practical examples and the workshop:

1. Clarify the situation: Define goals, roles and expectations from the outset and

   Define common success metrics/milestones 

2. Actively shaping communication: Regular communication, developing a common language, addressing conflicts early, actively building trust

3. Systematically secure knowledge: Documentation and knowledge transfer, building representation structures

4. Create commitment: “Persistence as a solution approach” – consistent follow-up, demanding results and focusing on common goals.

5. Limited personnel resources and complex coordination processes: Structured collaboration, designation of a contact person, improvement of project management using tools such as RACI and Quality Gates

Innovation requires not only ideas, but also the right framework

In addition to the practical examples, it became clear at InnoCON 2026 that many companies are not yet making sufficient use of existing funding and support programs. Numerous instruments are available to companies in Thuringia – from individual projects and collaborative projects to federal funding programs such as the Thuringian R&D guidelines for promoting research, technology and innovation projects, and federal programs like RUBIN and WIR!. 

At the same time, widespread prejudices were dispelled: Funding applications are now largely digitalized, projects can often start shortly after application, and companies don't necessarily need external consultants. Rather, the crucial factor is involving the right contacts early on and utilizing existing support services. Innovativ Thüringen also supports companies in the early stages of development – ​​from refining the project idea and finding suitable partners to developing viable consortia and funding strategies.

Thuringia as a strong innovation hub

The message of InnoCON Thüringen 2026 is therefore: Those who want to successfully develop innovations should not only rely on their own strength, but also actively seek collaborations and use existing support services. 

Key findings and overall conclusion