Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer (FöWiTec)
Together with Potsdam Transfer, UP Transfer GmbH supports application-oriented research and development projects at the University of Potsdam as part of an internal university call for proposals to promote knowledge and technology transfer, or FöWiTec for short.
Since 2019, joint funding has been made available for the transfer of scientific research into application and up to five projects with a clear link to economic or social needs are supported each year. Seventeen projects with a total funding volume of EUR 200,000 have already been supported. The funded projects include feasibility studies, further training and the development of innovative technologies and start-up ideas.
Further information on the application procedure and the application criteria can be found at here
Winning projects from previous years
A complete overview of all projects already funded can be found at here. Below you will find a selection of the projects supported by UP Transfer GmbH.
With suitcase and backpack to more SOIL awareness
Dr. Beate Gall
AG Soil Science and Geoecology
Project type: Research and development
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
A conscious approach to soil as a resource is still too little anchored in society. For schools and extracurricular places of learning, it must be noted that they can hardly fulfill the educational mission of “creating soil awareness”. On the one hand, the subject teachers (geography, natural sciences, biology) themselves are insufficiently trained in soil science topics, and on the other hand, they usually have too little time available to teach selected topics. The idea of the project is to develop a prototype equipped with materials for a soil suitcase (BODENbewusst) and a rucksack (terrain/direct soil contact - BODENfit). The materials are intended to encourage children (elementary school) and young people (lower and upper secondary school) to explore soils in their living environment and through direct contact on site. In the future, the suitcase and rucksack will be used by trained soil ambassadors in schools and extracurricular facilities in Brandenburg.
Enzymatic inactivation of antibiotics in agricultural waste
Prof. Dr. Katja M. Arndt
Molecular biotechnology
Project type: Research and development
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine, but their excessive use has led to a dangerous increase in antimicrobial resistance. Inadequate waste management of antibiotic-contaminated waste products such as urine or manure in agriculture or wastewater from hospitals and private households is a major contributor to the development of resistance. Our project aims to use enzymes as an effective means of inactivating antibiotics. This approach offers significant advantages such as low cost, versatility and environmental friendliness. Our product is to be developed primarily for use on farms, where several tons of antibiotic-contaminated waste are produced every day and there is currently no solution for dealing with this waste. By adding the powdered enzyme to the waste and mixing it with a short incubation time, this product should be easy and quick to use.
Looking deeper with rare earth nanoparticles - frequency upconversion for mobile analytics (UCNP platform)
Mr. apl. Prof. Dr. Kumke
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Project type: Research and development
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
For use in optical rapid tests for biological or medical samples, this project is developing a transportable, low-cost miniature readout unit based on NIR radiation and frequency-converting nanoparticles (UCNP). The low-cost, portable platform to be developed will combine the advantages of UCNP (e.g. high stability, no fading, no toxicity, scalability) and current developments in optical instrumentation. The core components of the UCNP platform are: i) UCNP immobilized on a biocompatible surface as optical transducers, and ii) a portable readout unit (NIR laser diode, detection via smartphone and/or photodiode). By using NIR radiation, the non-toxic UCNPs as optical transducers enable a high penetration depth into the biological samples without interference from intrinsic optical matrix signals and can thus significantly reduce the effort required for sample preparation.
Early risk detection of speech development disorders in babies
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Boll-Avetisyan
Faculty of Human Sciences
Project type: Research and development
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
As part of this project, researchers want to develop a system that can be used to determine in the first year of life whether a child is at risk of developing a speech development disorder (SES). It is estimated that up to 19% of all children suffer from SES. Affected children speak less or less intelligibly than would be appropriate for their age, have difficulties with sentence structures and have a much smaller vocabulary than their peers. Therapeutic interventions for SES are all the more effective the younger the child is. As SES is currently recognized relatively late, the aim of this project is to develop and patent a reliable test method for the early detection of SES risk. On the one hand, the method could be easily integrated into the pediatric U6 examination and, on the other hand, it could also be used for therapeutic purposes.
Science in a box
Mr. Prof. Dr. Banerji
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Project type: Research and development, School education
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
“Science in a Box” is a dynamic project that aims to establish a sustainable launch pad for the provision of innovative learning and experimental materials. The target group is educational institutions - primarily schools, student laboratories and science exhibitions. A teaching and learning box on organic LEDs and solar cells is already ready for use. An online marketing strategy and a platform for direct sales are being established as part of the project. To make it even easier to teach the subject matter, further training formats will also be developed for teachers in the Berlin/Brandenburg region. In the long term, the “Science in a Box” project will be expanded to include further teaching and learning box concepts.
Development of a fiber-optic sensor for the continuous ion-selective detection of ammonium in wastewater treatment plant effluents
Mrs. Dr. Pacholski
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Project type: Research and development
Project partner: BASF Schwarzheide GmbH
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
Due to its toxicity and high solubility, ammonia is considered the most common pollutant in water streams and the ammonium ion concentration is therefore an important parameter for monitoring the effluents of wastewater treatment plants. The challenges for such measurements are high and result, among other things, from the complex composition of the wastewater. In cooperation with BASF Schwarzheide GmbH, a fiber-optic sensor is to be developed for the continuous detection of ammonium ions in sewage water. Optical fibers equipped with a porous sensor material are ideally suited for this purpose due to their robustness and mobility and allow the parallel real-time measurement of several individual points. Ultimately, the aim is to enable data-driven modelling and optimized control of an industrial wastewater treatment plant.
Preparation of an innovative training program for psychotherapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Wippert
Faculty of Human Sciences
Project type: Continuing education
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
The aim of this project is to develop and offer new innovative teaching modules in pain medicine care for psychotherapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The new agreement on interdisciplinary pain medicine care planned by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians requires continuous participation in further and advanced training in pain therapy. There are very few further training courses in this area nationwide. With this project, the “Special Pain Psychotherapy (SSPT)” certificate course currently offered will be expanded in line with the new regulation. These courses will be offered by UP Transfer GmbH from 2021 and will focus on the following areas
- Biofeedback in the treatment of pain
- Pain syndromes in childhood and adolescence
- Pain in old age
- Pain and stress
“Digitalization in public administration - a modularized training course” (DigiTrain)
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Fleischer
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Project type: Continuing education
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
As part of this project, a modularized training course on digital transformation in the public sector is being developed, which is aimed at managers and employees at federal, state and local level. In the course of the digital transformation of the public sector, established structures and processes are being fundamentally changed in some cases. Training courses tailored to the needs of public administration are intended to create a deeper understanding of the technical and organizational contexts of these developments and facilitate their successful implementation.
Training course in “Advanced subsurface characterization: concepts and workflows for predicting reservoir properties and behaviour”
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Mutti und Herr Dr. Winterleitner
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Project type: Continuing education
Supported within the framework of FöWiTec “Projects to promote knowledge and technology transfer”
The long-term goal of this project is to offer course modules in which concepts and workflows for predicting the properties of underground reservoirs are taught. These modules are based on subsurface and reservoir models that are to be developed as part of the project and subsequently offered as teaching and research models. Geological 3D models form the basis for quantifying the resources and storage horizons and serve as the basis for dynamic simulations of the flow behavior of oils, gases and thermal fluids. The courses are aimed at companies in the oil, gas and geothermal industries.