Event Recap | Helmholtz Tech & Industry Day 2026: Building Stronger Bridges Between Research, Industry and Politics

How can scientific excellence be translated into industrial impact? And what does it take to strengthen collaboration between research, industry and policymakers

These questions were at the heart of the first Helmholtz Tech & Industry Day, jointly organised by the Helmholtz Association, Hi-ACTS and SolarTAP on 9 June 2026 at the DESY campus in Hamburg.

The event brought together high-level representatives from science, industry, politics and innovation organisations to discuss how public-private partnerships, technology transfer and cross-sector collaboration can help address Europe's technological challenges and strengthen its innovation ecosystem.

Participants gained insights into successful Helmholtz–industry collaborations, explored best practices in technology transfer and discussed new approaches to accelerating the journey from scientific discovery to industrial application. The programme featured keynote contributions, strategic panel discussions and numerous opportunities for networking and exchange.

Among the distinguished speakers were Prof. Dr. Martin Keller, President of the Helmholtz Association, Prof. Dr. Beate Heinemann, Chair of the Board of Directors of DESY, Dr. Alexandra-Gwyn Paetz, Head of Division at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Sarah Engel, Head of AI at TRUMPF, as well as representatives from industry and academia who shared their perspectives on future innovation partnerships.

As Prof. Dr. Martin Keller emphasised during the event:

"How do we bring science and industry together at an earlier stage? How do we build public-private partnerships and long-term relationships to accelerate innovation?"

The discussions throughout the day reinforced a shared understanding: scientific excellence creates its greatest impact when research, industry and policymakers work together. As the Helmholtz innovation platform for accelerator-based technologies, Hi-ACTS plays an important role in enabling these collaborations by providing industry with a single entry point to the expertise, technologies and research infrastructures of five Helmholtz Centres.

Watch the event recap and experience the highlights of the first Helmholtz Tech & Industry Day.

We would like to thank the Helmholtz Association, SolarTAP, DESY, all speakers, panelists and participants for contributing to the success of this inaugural event.

A special thank you goes to our long-standing creative partner, Photothek Media Lab, for the outstanding production of the event recap film. Their team once again succeeded in capturing not only the atmosphere of the day, but also the spirit of collaboration and innovation that defined the event. We are grateful for their creativity, professionalism and excellent partnership throughout the project.

We look forward to continuing the dialogue and building even stronger partnerships between science, industry and politics.