In Regensburg, there are often just a few metres between lecture theatres, laboratories and start-up offices. The physical proximity between OTH Regensburg and TechBase ensures that research, start-ups and industry work closely together. The anniversary celebration on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, demonstrated once again just how important this collaboration is for Regensburg as a hub of innovation. Alongside Prof. Dr Ralph Schneider, President of OTH Regensburg, Regensburg’s Lord Mayor Thomas Burger and Bavaria’s Minister for Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger also offered their congratulations on TechBase’s 25th anniversary.
SappZ and LaS³: OTH Regensburg laboratories at TechBase
TechBase provides start-ups, businesses and research institutions with a space for exchange and collaboration. For OTH Regensburg, it has long been more than just a partner: the university is represented on site through the Sensor Technology Application Centre (SappZ), the Laboratory for Safe and Secure Systems (LaS³) and services for those interested in starting a business.
Prof. Dr Rudolf Bierl, Head of the Sensor Technology Application Centre, highlighted just how important this proximity is during the Innovation Talk at the anniversary celebrations. Moving into TechBase had been “one of the best decisions” his team had made. The institute had been able to grow here and continues to benefit from close collaboration with start-ups to this day. “For us, it’s easy to say: just pop round,” explained Prof. Dr Bierl. Whether it’s laboratories, specialist equipment or technical support: many of the resources that start-ups cannot provide themselves are readily available to them here.
Start-ups at OTH Regensburg: From the campus to their own offices
Both sides benefit from this collaboration: whilst the university contributes scientific expertise, companies continually raise new research questions based on real-world experience. In the field of sensor technology, the spectrum ranges from medical technology to the agriculture of the future – for example, where sensors monitor the condition of plants and assist with the use of water or fertiliser.
Among the success stories are start-ups such as Calypso Commodities, 2Lock, Nuviox and brainjo, which emerged from OTH Regensburg, received support from the university’s Start-up Centre, and found a home as tenants at TechBase.
At the ceremony, TechBase Managing Director Alexander Rupprecht spoke of the spirit of the “Why Notters” – people who try out ideas rather than spending ages wondering why something might not work. This pragmatism also characterises the collaboration with OTH Regensburg. For many years, the university has been facilitating the transfer of research into practice and supporting start-up projects that have the potential to develop into successful businesses.
