Lower Saxony-InnovationCampus (SNIC)

Topic
Southern Lower Saxony Innovation Campus (Südniedersachsen-InnovationsCampus, SNIC)

Website
www.snic.de

Contracting Authority
European Fund for Regional Development (Europäischer Fonds für regionale Entwicklung, EFRE), Target Area Regional Competition and Occupation (Zielgebiet Regionale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Beschäftigung, RWB)
Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture (Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, MWK)

Running Time
10.2014-03.2015

Brief Description

The Southern Lower Saxony Innovation Campus (SNIC) forms the central structure forming element of southern Lower Saxony as a region for innovation. SNIC heightens the innovation dynamic of the region by
(a) insights gained from universities and research institutions relevant to companies, made available to companies of the region in a variety of formats,
(b) winning the aid of competent students, research associates and professors from regional institutions in order to find innovative solutions for difficulties faced by regional companies,
(c) systematic support of spin-off companies from the scientific institutions as well as from the innovation processes within existing companies with the aid of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship education.

Thereby, the region utilizes its comparative advantage in the areas of science and research in order to create innovative ideas for products, service as well as in relation to highly-qualified specialists. The SNIC aims to make this available to regional companies and to thereby strengthen the innovation culture in regional companies. While the SNIC includes all regional companies, but focuses particularly on the topics health economics including medical technology as well as biotechnology (specialty field 2 of the RIS3-strategy), economy 4.0 (specialty field 5) and new materials/production technology, including recycling, thin glass, measurement techniques (specialty field 6).

Under the umbrella of the SNIC, cooperation between the five municipalities Göttingen, Goslar, Holzminden, Northeim and Osterode am Harz emerged, as well as between the city Göttingen, the University Göttingen, the Technical University Clausthal, the College for Applied Sciences and Art Hildesheim-Göttingen-Holzminden, the PFH (Private College Göttingen) as well as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Hanover and the Chamber of Crafts Hilfesheim. This cooperation creates great potential for added value in improved transfer of knowledge and the use of innovative competence in universities and research institutions for companies in the entire region of southern Lower Saxony.

The SNIC provides the severely necessary measure of supporting the competition and innovation ability of the economic and living area southern Lower Saxony, as well as working against the exodus of specialists. The SNIC thereby cements the specific measure that promise problem solutions for southern Lower Saxony, according to the goals of the RIS3-Strategy and building on the results of the working group of the state government. According the principle of coordinated de-centrality, existing, good offers from the local level are transmitted to the whole region and preexisting competences and innovation capabilities are used, potentially developed and, via an intensive exchange, brought to a practical use. Furthermore, new offers are developed in order to cover existing demands in economy and society and to improve the communication between universities, municipalities and companies of the region. The four shown cornerstones build a solid fundament to make the region future-oriented and more innovative. Additionally, the broad regional consent ensures that all local actors endeavor to contribute to the success of the SNIC.

Cooperation Partners

Publications

Bizer, Kilian, Jaqueline Dopfer, Klaus Hoffmann, Matthias Maring, Tim Schneider & Bernhard Vollmar, 2015: Der SüdniedersachsenInnovationsCampus. Machbarkeitsstudie (Download).
Bizer, Kilian & Julia Brüggemann, 2014: Innovationsregion Südniedersachsen. Eine langfristige ökonomische Strategie, Neues Archiv für Niedersachsen 2014/2, 122-133.