A conversation with Dirk Stürmer
The TechnologieZentrumDortmund (TZDO) is the largest technology incubator in Germany and one of the leading technology and start-up centers in Europe. The association currently includes six centers at four different locations in Dortmund. We spoke with Managing Director Dirk Stürmer about the focus of the industry, the challenges of structural change and networking with the start-up scene.
"We are a location with many service, consulting and know-how providers. Thus, Dortmund has a highly differentiated, established start-up ecosystem that is locally anchored and globally networked."
Managing Director of the Dortmund Technology CenterWhat are the main sectors covered by the centers of the TechnologieZentrumDortmund, and what role does the TZDO play in the network?
"The TZDO is a broadly positioned location community of young technology start-ups and innovative growth companies. Under the umbrella of the TZDO, more than 200 companies gather in our competence centers with an industry-specific focus. These application centers represent, among others, the technology fields of biomedicine and biotechnology, production technology, micro- and nanotechnology, logistics as well as software and IT.
Our companies are represented in almost all technology-driven economic sectors and develop industry-specific solutions, for example for medical technology and active ingredient research, mechanical and plant engineering, robotics and automation technology, as well as for the various areas of information and communication technology. The founders from the TZDO are characterized by a wide range of technologies as well as a wide range of applications.
In this way, our tenants provide innovative solutions for SMEs and industry in all areas of digitization."
The TZDO was founded in 1985 - when the Metropole Ruhr was facing major challenges of structural change. How have requirements and demands changed in almost 40 years?
"In response to structural change and deindustrialization processes, Dortmund set out early on to become a multifaceted knowledge and service location. The promotion of business start-ups and the continuous transfer of technology from the universities to industry have brought many new impulses.
The TZDO was the starting point for the development of one of the largest technology parks in Europe. Today, more than 350 companies with around 13,500 employees work on the Dortmund Science and Technology Campus.
We are a location with many service, consulting and know-how providers. Thus, Dortmund has a highly differentiated, established start-up ecosystem that is locally anchored and globally networked. The TZDO supports this system as a network platform and information interface. The TZDO is now one of the largest technology incubators in Europe and provides start-ups with infrastructures adapted to their needs.
Thus, the TZDO forms the basis for further innovative technologies and knowledge-based start-ups. The Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET), which was awarded the Excellence Start-up Center (ESC), moved into the TZDO as a tenant in 2019."
What stimuli does the CET provide for the transfer from research to industry?
"The CET is a central partner for the TZDO in its efforts to identify people from the university who are interested in founding a company and to provide them with the best possible support in implementing promising business ideas. In this way, numerous exciting start-ups and spin-offs of TU Dortmund University have emerged in recent years.
The CET strengthens the start-up spirit and the innovative power of Dortmund as a leading location for knowledge-based start-ups and research transfer."
How is the TZDO networked with the founder, start-up and technology scene - not only in Dortmund - but in the entire Ruhr Metropolis and beyond?
"The TZDO is one of the central innovation drivers in the Metropole Ruhr and is closely networked with the technology and innovation centers in the region, such as the TECH5plus network in the eastern Ruhr region. We actively promote the close connection of our start-up ecosystem with SMEs in the region.
In addition, the more than 200 companies from the TZDO have excellent networks in Germany, Europe and globally."
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To the StoryImage credit: TZDO / Roland Kentrup