University Board
The University Board is the governing body of the university. It oversees quality assurance in teaching, research, technology transfer, academic continuing education, gender mainstreaming, decision-making and administrative processes, as well as the university's organizational structure.
Faktor 10
![['English'] Die Logos der vier schleswig-holsteinischen Hochschulen: Hochschule Flensburg, Fachhochschule Kiel, Technische Hochschule Lübeck und FH Westküste](/fileadmin/_processed_/1/2/csm_logos_hochschulen_sh_faktor_10_24902ae80f.jpg)
Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) are catalysts for the digital, technological, and sustainable transformation of the economy and society. Their unique strength lies in the dual qualifications of their professors, distinguished by both academic credentials and several years of professional expertise in non-academic institutions.
The four state-run Universities of Applied Sciences in Schleswig-Holstein (Fachhochschule Kiel, Fachhochschule Westküste, Hochschule Flensburg, and Technische Hochschule Lübeck) consider it their mission to harness this substantial potential for digital and technological transformation.
In 2021, they joined forces to collaboratively draw appropriate conclusions for Schleswig-Holstein alongside academia, government, and society.
You can find their position statement here (German only): Faktor 10 (PDF)
Establishment of a National Agency for the Promotion of Innovation and Knowledge- / Technology Transfer
The establishment of an innovation agency to support the transfer of application-oriented research, as it already exists in many other countries, is expressly endorsed at Technische Hochschule Lübeck. Together with Dr. Anna Christmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Kai Gehring (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Hennig von Grünberg (University of Potsdam), President Dr. Muriel Helbig formulated a position paper, which advocates the establishment of a national agency for the promotion of innovation and knowledge/technology transfer (D.Innova). The creation of D.Innova was included in the German government's coalition agreement of October 12, 2021, and will be named the German Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI).
Statement by the State Rectors' Conference (LRK) on the Report by the Schleswig-Holstein State Court of Audit
In its report published on July 12, 2024, the Schleswig-Holstein State Court of Audit (LRH) also addresses topics that directly or indirectly affect the state's universities. For instance, the LRH questions the state's previous approach regarding start-up support. According to the LRH, funding individual projects, such as the StartUp.SH network, has led to a duplication of structures and is not sustainable: From the LRH's perspective, permanently financing university activities in start-up counseling through project funds is neither practical nor permissible under funding law. This is particularly true given that start-up support is one of the universities' tasks, albeit a secondary one
, the report states. The LRH recommends a fundamental coordination between the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Science regarding what start-up support activities the state expects from its universities. Issues concerning resource allocation and the structuring of start-up support must be taken into account during negotiations on university budgets and the target agreements with the universities
, the LRH recommends.
The full LRK statement (DE, PDF) can be read here.
Demands by the University Alliance for SMEs: Less is More
The University Alliance for SMEs (HAfM) has analyzed current knowledge and technology transfer funding programs and is calling for a fundamental streamlining of the funding maze. The analysis reveals that approximately half of the programs are either scarcely relevant to SMEs or too complex to navigate. To effectively strengthen cooperation between academia and industry, the HAfM is calling for more transparent structures, greater flexibility in project implementation, and more targeted support for Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS).
Read the full german position paper here.
Position Paper on Transfer Funding Programs by the University Alliance for SMEs
Germany possesses excellent research capabilities, yet its fragmented funding system tends to hinder innovation rather than accelerate it. This structural issue has been brought to light by an evaluation of 88 funding programs aimed at strengthening transfer and innovation, conducted by the University Alliance for SMEs (HAfM). Following the presentation of initial findings at the 10th Berlin Transfer Conference, the 16 member universities have now published a comprehensive position paper. It outlines their demands and actionable recommendations for sustainable transfer funding—spanning the entire process from research to innovation.
Read the full position paper on transfer funding programs (DE, PDF).
