Fraunhofer IMW focuses on socioeconomic research, seeking to bridge the gap between business, science, and policy. Fraunhofer specializes in knowledge society, value creation, and sustainable development. Fraunhofer further supports companies entering the market, particularly small and medium sized enterprises, by conducting market analysis and developing market strategies.
Working at Fraunhofer gave me a chance to dive deeper in the research work I began during my first year in the Technology & Policy Program at MIT. I was working at the office that specialized in international technology transfer, through which I helped consult for startup companies on their internationalization strategies. I also helped the center create an internal startup incubator for Fraunhofer overall.
Additionally, I was writing a comparative research paper on the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems in Eastern vs. Western Germany. For that, I got to travel to several cities around both the East and West in order to visit R&D centers, startup incubators, and interview several leaders in government and business as well as budding entrepreneurs and research scientists pushing the envelope of German innovation.
Once a center for cultural activity in music, arts, and literature, Leipzig is starting to become poised to resurrect its history. Home to a large university, Leipzig is showing significant population growth, especially amongst young adults, and due to its budding cultural and street-art scene, is even starting to be dubbed the “New Berlin.”
