“That’s interesting, but first prove that it works” was the short answer Sven Kerzenmacher received when he showed his research results to potential industrial partners.

Researchers who are on the path between scientific discovery and a market-ready product often need a proof of concept to make a convincing pitch to industry. However, in order to provide these, they often need not only better insights into what exactly industry needs, but also financing for the risky phase of prototype development. Industrial partners, however, only provide this when the proof of concept is available.

This paradoxical situation is often known to academics as the valley of death. The MaTeNa innovate! Center, which is being built at the University of Bremen with support of the Joachim Herz Stiftung is focused on this problem and aims to increase the speed with which research reaches market readiness.

MaTeNa innovate! Center, which is short for Materials – Technology – Sustainability, funds projects with potential for usability. Despite these projects' promise, they are still far enough from development that they lack industrial engagement. In the beginning, three pilot projects will be funded by the innovate! Center. Kerzenmacher’s project, which will develop sustainable aquaculture feed, is one of them. Kerzenmacher is head of the University of Bremen’s Environmental Process Engineering Research Group.

Further information about Kerzenmacher’s research and the innovate! Center’s strategic approach can be found in the Joachim Herz Stiftung report “A bridge over the valley of death.”

Read more about Kerzenmacher's research and the strategic approach that the “innovate! Center” pursues in the report “Eine Brücke über das ‘Valley of Death’”. The report written by journalist Christian Heinrich for the Joachim Herz Foundation was published on April 23.