In the tenth "Inquired" interview by InCamS@BI, project coordinator Dr. Katharina Gefele explains why knowledge transfer is so important, looks back on her start in the project and the year 2025 that is coming to an end, and reports on what the interdisciplinary team plans to do in 2026.

Bielefeld (hsbi). In the interview series "Ask the InCamS@BI Team," colleagues explain how the  InCamS@BI  transfer project works. What is the purpose of a Technology Check? What is a Makeathon? How is the internal training program structured? Or how is the project evaluated? We want to explore these questions and many more in this interview.

Katharina, you've been the project coordinator for InCamS@BI since the beginning of September. The project focuses on the frequently mentioned transfer of knowledge and technology. What does transfer mean to you?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: From my academic and professional background, I have two different perspectives on the concept of transfer: one from cultural studies and the other from higher education development and policy. As a German studies scholar, I would say that knowledge transfer must always consider the perspective of the recipient so that the knowledge actually "gets there." This naturally also applies to technology transfer—or even to the "transfer of ideas," which plays a major role for HSBI and especially for our project. InCamS@BI, innovative ideas are primarily developed jointly with companies in the region—meaning the recipient is directly involved in the process of generating ideas and knowledge. In addition to this perspective, in recent years, in the context of my work at the German Rectors' Conference, I have perceived transfer as a cross-cutting task for universities, playing an important role as the so-called "third pillar" alongside research and teaching. Just as with internationalization, on which I have also worked, it is particularly challenging to structurally anchor this task within the university. If this fails, knowledge transfer will not be practiced across all disciplines and research areas and will remain a resource-intensive "additional task" for dedicated individuals and initiatives. However, HSBI has already positioned itself well strategically and structurally in this regard in recent years, and the InCamS@BI project aims to contribute to this.

In what forms have you encountered Transfer so far, and which formats have you remembered particularly positively?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: The InCamS@BI project has developed a wealth of exciting knowledge transfer formats – from the  knowledge base  and the  #Insights  series on the website to event formats such as  barcamps  ,  expert panels  , and open science events, as well as  technology checks  for companies. I was particularly impressed by the  makeathon of our business law research group  : Students, together with partners from industry (e.g., Spies Packaging, Wago, Continental), developed solutions to current legal challenges. The makeathon format enabled intensive collaboration and direct knowledge exchange over an entire semester. One focus of the questions was the new European Packaging Regulation (PPWR) – a topic that is of great concern to companies in the region. InCamS@BI offers services and events tailored to the specific needs of companies in the region. The fact that knowledge transfer is truly practiced in this project was palpable for me at the  Demo Day  at the end of November. The pitches provided insights into the work of our technology scouts, and the tangible and sometimes even everyday topics were very well received by the audience. It was clear that our topics are not only relevant for experts in academia, but also, and especially, for companies.

Is there a challenge in the area of transfer that you would say, "I would like to work on that personally"?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: An important yet challenging task in knowledge transfer is the sustainable, university-wide integration of the programs and transfer structures. I would like to contribute to this over the next two years. Specifically, this means evaluating the programs and formats developed within InCamS@BI – for example, the event formats, the Technology Check, and our internal training series – and making them visible and usable university-wide. Ideally, these can be linked to the university's strategic direction and integrated into existing structures such as  HSBI Transfer  .

You have already worked on various research-related, externally funded projects in your career. In your opinion, what is most important for research project teams to work successfully?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: In my experience, it is crucial for scientific and especially interdisciplinary project teams to consider the diverse perspectives and needs of the various disciplines as well as the individual team members. Most team members are in the early stages of their careers, often working on temporary contracts and potentially also pursuing further academic qualifications or teaching. Externally funded projects offer great potential for bringing together different teams and trying out new approaches. To achieve this, it is essential to be open to the perspectives of others, communicate transparently, and highlight the added value of the project work for each individual, in order to foster long-term motivation and collaboration.

Which aspects of the InCamS@BI project particularly appealed to you?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: For me personally, it was important to be able to contribute to the field of sustainability professionally, because it has been a major focus of my private life in recent years. What particularly appealed to me about the InCamS@BI project was its regionally focused approach, meaning not only researching solutions for the circular economy, but also working together on the real-world challenges faced by companies. And I enjoy working at the interfaces of different disciplines to jointly advance new ideas – not only between academic departments, but also with university management and external stakeholders. The project's focus on this aspect was very exciting for me.

Where do you fit into the project architecture? Are there any areas where you will or would like to be particularly involved?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: My position as project coordinator is located within the "Hall of Innovation" sub-project, which has now been integrated into the central operating unit HSBI Transfer. My responsibilities include monitoring project progress, evaluating the project, reporting to the funding agency and to university committees, as well as internal project communication and contributing to the sustainability of the results. Next year, the major interim evaluation of the project is scheduled, and preparing for and following up on this will be a key task for me. The evaluation aims to bring together all important internal and external project stakeholders and to examine the project's effectiveness in the region. I am particularly keen to ensure that we can use the insights and impetus from this process to further develop the project and, beyond that, to establish effective transfer structures at HSBI.

InCamS@BI is funded until 2027 and is therefore roughly halfway through its project duration. From your perspective, which milestones have been achieved so far, and where might there still be room for improvement?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: As I see it, almost all the important milestones that the project set for itself in the first half of the project have already been largely achieved. These include, above all, the development of the concepts for all transfer formats and toolboxes, as well as the internal training programs. The research groups are already bringing these formats to life and have established an incredible number of company contacts and developed substantial project ideas. Many of these project ideas now need to be further developed in the Innovation Lab during the second half of the project. Some formats are now gaining momentum, for example, the Technology Check – but of course, we also need to find interested companies for this. One remaining challenge is building contacts with university alumni – we intend to focus specifically on this next year.

At the end of the year, it's customary not only to look back but also ahead. What does InCamS@BI have planned for 2026? What will be the focus of the project work? Will there be new formats, or will existing ones be expanded?

Dr. Katharina Gefele: In addition to the aforementioned specific tasks such as interim evaluation, sustainability, and alumni relations, we plan to further utilize and develop substantial transfer formats like  expert panels  and tech checks next year, and offer them more extensively as online formats. We are also working on a new open science format – the "Science Lunch" – which will offer a short, online, expert presentation at lunchtime for interested participants. New "knowledge bites" will also be available again in the Knowledge Workshop. Our research groups are also working intensively on the toolboxes for companies, which will be published alongside the  plastics knowledge base  . Overall, I hope that in 2026 the project will truly reap the rewards of the groundwork laid in the early years, and that we can make the project results sustainably visible (mkl).

Thank you for the conversation! (mkl)