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As a key innovation driver in the Northern Black Forest region, the Technologiezentrum Horb (TZH) combines hands-on support for companies with a strong network focused on high-performance plastics – from technology transfer to startup acceleration.
Can you briefly introduce the Technologiezentrum Horb – what are your main areas of focus?
The TZH is an innovation hub that has established itself over the past years as a central point of contact for companies of all sizes in the Northern Black Forest. Through the INNONET plastics cluster, we manage one of the most relevant industry clusters (second only to the Chemistry Cluster Bavaria, of course 😉), focusing on the entire value chain of high-performance plastics. Our goal is to enable sustainable innovation at local, regional, and international levels through collaboration and knowledge transfer.
Which industries are currently particularly well represented in your network?
The INNONET plastics cluster has focused on the entire value chain of high-performance plastics for over 20 years. Our mission is to cover all stages of this value chain.
What is currently happening in the TZH Accelerator? Could you perhaps share a concrete example?
In the TZH Accelerator, we also apply the principle of venture partnering. We analyze the strengths of established companies and strategically leverage the agility and innovative strength of young startups to identify promising approaches and develop collaborative prototypes.
A concrete example: development and testing of a novel bioplastic based on grape marc. And many more…
What kind of support do you offer for technology transfer between science and industry?
The Technologiezentrum Horb am Neckar and the INNONET plastics cluster support technology transfer through an integrated range of services specifically tailored to the needs of companies. Our focus is on individual consulting, digital coaching, and hands-on workshops that help businesses translate scientific insights into market-ready applications. Through INNONET, we coordinate a specialized industry network that enables targeted exchange between research and industry across the entire plastics value chain.
Another aspect of the Accelerator is informing and motivating students in the field of entrepreneurship, in order to promote the transfer of their academic work into practical, real-world applications.
In his role in Business Development, Maximilian Koyystorz focuses on analyzing and evolving existing business models as well as developing new ones. With a focus on venture partnering, he orchestrates pilot projects between start-ups and corporates and represents TZH in numerous EU projects. His passion lies in innovative and unconventional business models, and he firmly believes that innovation always grows on the foundation of strong collaboration – a core principle that guides his work with network partners.
