We are the
InnovationLab GmbH
We, InnovationLab GmbH, were founded in 2008 as the winner of the BMBF Leading-Edge Cluster Forum Organic Electronics with the goal of developing innovative forms of cooperation between academia and industry. Our shareholders are the world-leading corporations HEIDELBERGER Druckmaschinen and BASF, together with the leading universities Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, as well as the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).
Our History
The Scientific Advisory Board of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region was established in May 2007 at the initiative of Prof. Dr. Claus E. Heinrich, a former member of the SAP Executive Board and former Chairman of the Board of the Association for the Future of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (ZMRN e.V.).
The goal of this high-level committee was to advance collaboration between academia and industry in the region and to promote joint research activities. To achieve these goals, the Science Council actively supported the founding of InnovationLab GmbH and the successful application of the Forum Organic Electronics cluster in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s Leading-Edge Clusters competition, thereby creating added value for the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and its surroundings.
From the very beginning, InnovationLab has been able to build on initiatives that in the past were primarily carried out as individual projects or bilateral collaborations
successfully connect leading regional companies, universities, and research institutions.
With the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)'s Leading-Edge Cluster Initiative serving as a catalyst, the loosely connected participants from the academic and business communities were successfully brought together.
In line with the co-innovation model, the partners’ expertise is pooled across disciplines. Joint research projects create significant synergies that enable the faster development of market-ready products and applications.
While its focus was initially on the development of organic electronics, InnovationLab now concentrates primarily on cutting-edge research in the fields of life sciences, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing.
Dr.-Ing. Michael Kröger
Managing Director
Michael Kröger has known InnovationLab since it was founded in 2008, when he was responsible for setting up laboratories and designing content as a scientific group leader. As Managing Director, he has been responsible for the further development and expansion of InnovationLab GmbH since 2022.
Prior to that, Michael worked for BASF and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen in management positions in technology, sales and operations. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from TU Braunschweig and spent 2 years as a researcher at Princeton University.
"As Managing Director of InnovationLab GmbH, but also as a husband and father of three daughters, I am driven by the need to shape the economy sustainably. I firmly believe that science and technology can and must pave the way to this future. For me, InnovationLab is the place to make this happen."
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich Lemmer
Scientific Managing Director
Professor Ulrich Lemmer of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has been familiar with the iL since its inception in 2008. Since then, he has repeatedly led research projects at the facility. He has served as the scientific director of the InnovationLab since October 1, 2023.
His academic career includes a degree in physics from Aachen, a doctorate from Marburg, and a postdoctoral position at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Afterward, the Gummersbach native became a group leader in the Department of Organic Electronics at the University of Munich. In 2002, he was appointed professor in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and director of the Institute of Lighting Technology at KIT. Numerous publications round out the career of this renowned researcher.
"By networking in the academic world, I try to constantly set new priorities in terms of strategy and content. I see myself as someone who can build bridges and play a key role in shaping the technological direction of the InnovationLab."
InnovationLab by the Numbers
18+
Years of experience
Since 2008/2009, clusters of excellence have been established here at the site in collaboration with centers of expertise and partners. We have had a well-established network of SMEs at the site for about 18 years.
~6,000 m²
Laboratory & office space
Under the motto "Everything under one roof," we offer S1 and S2 laboratories, physics laboratories, an ISO Class 7 cleanroom, a biosafety level 2 laboratory, as well as office space and coworking spaces.
9
Research Projects
Collaborative research projects create crucial synergies that enable the accelerated development of marketable products and applications.
