Danube Transfer CentresSteinbeis Europa Zentrum expands its network of Danube Transfer Centers and participates in the 13th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region

The 13th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) took place this year in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Petra Püchner, Dr. Jonathan Loeffler, Miljana Cosic, Daniela Chiran and Mirjam Zillober from the Steinbeis Europa Zentrum were part of a delegation of high-ranking representatives from the Baden-Württemberg State Ministry, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism and the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament.

In addition to geopolitical aspects and cities as transformation hubs of the Danube region, the focus of this year's forum was on green transition. In this context, our Managing Director Dr Jonathan Loeffler was invited to give a keynote speech as part of the session on "Place-based Innovation for Reindustrialization Projects in the Danube Region". Organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia with the support of the EUSDR Priority Area 8 – Competitiveness of Enterprises, this interactive part of the forum provided an opportunity for more in-depth exchange between the participants.

Participants of the interactive session on “Place-based Innovation for Reindustrialization Projects in the Danube Region“

As part of the forum, the members of the Danube Transfer Center (DTC) Network, coordinated by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, also met for the annual DTC Ceremony. In the first part of the ceremony, the members received keynote speeches on the topic “Danube Region going Green & Digital: Fostering Innovation & Technology Transfer, Building Skills and Creating Sustainable Business Opportunities for the Prosperity of the Region”. Five new organizations then joined the DTC Network. These include the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (IICT) and the GIS Transfer Center Foundation, both from Bulgaria, as well as the Regional Development Agency from Podravje - Maribor, Slovenia. We are particularly pleased to have another partner from Baden-Württemberg at our side, Reutlingen University, as well as an Entry Point in Montenegro, the Science and Technology Park Montenegro.

Since its foundation in 2012, the transnational DTC Network has been a lighthouse project for promoting innovation and improving knowledge and technology transfer in the Danube region. With now 16 so-called "Entry Points" and 38 DTC Hubs in 11 countries of the Danube Region, the network offers support and regional expertise for organizations that want to strengthen their competitiveness and international orientation. It is an exceptional platform for innovation, technology transfer and knowledge exchange. For these achievements, the DTC Network was awarded the title of "Danube Strategy Flagship" last year by the Danube Strategy Point and Priority Area 8 of the EUSDR.

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