Foto: Rainer Sturm / pixelio.de

Exist-Startup-funding for „UMDS-Robotics“

For the first the first time IOW successfully applied for funding in the framework of the programme „EXIST – Existenzgründungen aus der Wissenschaft“ from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and the European Social Fund. With this money the institute will support a start-up team for one year in their efforts of company foundation. The new company named "UMDS Robotics" will develop and sell special instruments related to marine technology.

The founders, Nico Günzel (37), Robert Balduhn (29) und Maximilian Heinz (31) based their business idea on manufacturing und selling of underwater vehicles consisting of universally applicable modules which can be flexibly combined and are able to carry sensors, probes or other functional units suitable for the deep sea.

The modules are constructed to be pressure neutral. They protect the added instruments mechanically and offer a powerful infrastructure for the integration of external electronics (sensors or manipulators). The core component is a water-proof, intellegent container-module made of a special plastic type. It encapsulates electronic, optoelectrical and mechanical components so that it can work as pressure-neutral interface between the modules and integrated intruments.

The new system has several advantages in comparison to conventional techniques:

The modules have much less weight, so more payload can be used. The flexibility and the reusability of modules make the system very efficient, costs are lowered, repair works are much easier.

With their innovative process of manufacturing and their pioneering technology the founders plan to enter a market for off-shore industry suppliers, harbour logistics, public authorities and marine research.

"Leistungsnetz - Model for trans-institutional service-exchange for technology transfer in regional networks"

In this project IOW and its four partners from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern FBN, LIKAT, IAP und INP investigate how cooperation of institutes with heterogenous foci can foster effectivness of technology transfer without higher level structures. Project duration will be from 01.07.2017 to 30.06.2020.

Each partner will develop and prototypically test a special service (module) which will then be offered also to the other partners. Besides a functional evaluation of these modules the partners will also investigate on the best ways to exchange these services on a legally correct basis. At the end of the project the consortium will produce a written concept to explain the transferability to other networks. (PR31.07.2017)

IOW has a long-lasting expertise of exibiting at international and national fairs of its main research focus. To identify new scopes of application and therefore broaden the market for IOW technologies we would like to use fairs with different foci. Thus the IOW module in this project is meant to develop instruments to screen the whole pool of fairs and exhibitions automatically for appropriate events.

VVB-MV

Since 2011 IOW is a member of "Verwertungsverbund Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" (VVB-MV).
It is a consortium of 10 universities, universities for applied sciences and research institutes. Together they aim for:

• efficient protection of IP at universities and research institutes
• fostering the exploitation of research results for the benefit of the regional economy
• development of innovative exploitation strategies for extensive employment in MV
• initiation of sustainable cooperation of science and regional economy
• giving economy access to protected knowhow and research results
• expansion of a cross-linked regional environment for effective exploitation in MV

Concerning the protection of IP the "Uni-Rostock Service GmbH" supports IOW. VVB-MV provides for financial funding of these activities.
VVB M-V is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and the Ministry of Education of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the framework of a SIGNO-project.