With lectures, workshops and a social gathering, the Centre for Research and Transfer’s (ZFT) Research Day 2026 offered members of the university community the opportunity to find out more and exchange ideas.
The day began with an informative presentation by the Graduate Centre on doctoral opportunities at OTH Regensburg. The session was led by Dr. Sabine Fütterer-Akili. During a subsequent pitch session, doctoral candidates presented their research projects.
The programme continued with contributions from the Open Regional Campus (ORCa) team. Transfer Manager Dr. Moritz Bauer, Project Officer Annalena Böck, and Sandra Schneider, Economic Affairs Officer for the District of Kelheim, introduced the project’s objectives, structures, and current activities. This was followed by a presentation from Michael Vogel of the Regensburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Regensburg), who provided insights into what municipalities and businesses expect from university knowledge transfer and how they can actively contribute.
The opportunity to enjoy lunch together during a special ZFT edition of Mensa:Meet was also warmly received. At reserved tables in the canteen, participants engaged in lively discussions about the presentations and many related topics.
During the “ZFT Update” session, Dr. Marcus Graf highlighted several achievements from the past year. In 2025, OTH Regensburg secured more than €40 million in third-party funding, more than ever before. In addition, the two workshops located on the ground floor of the House of Innovation and Transfer (HIT) commenced operations as central research infrastructure facilities. The reform of the university’s research structures has also led to two entities officially being granted institute status: the Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST) and the Friedrich Mielke Institute of Scalalogy. A third application, submitted by the Sensor Applications Centre (SappZ), is currently under review.
The final session, organised by the Research Data Management Working Group, introduced participants to the electronic lab notebook eLabFTW and a free storage solution for research data. The day concluded on the fourth floor of the administration building, where participants gathered for food and refreshments, exchanged ideas, and even started discussing plans for next year’s Research Day.
