Internal and external cooperation
Cooperation with external partners
In order to jointly tackle specific challenges and questions, HAW Hamburg undertakes interdisciplinary research in all academic areas together with external partners.
HAW Hamburg collaborates with various partners from business, culture, politics and society on numerous research projects and programmes. It offers interested actors diverse possibilities for cooperation.
It works especially closely with Hamburg Innovation, which supports Hamburg's universities in expanding cooperative projects.
Externally funded research
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Externally funded research projects are an important basis for the research undertaken at HAW Hamburg. Our research is practice-oriented and frequently takes place in cooperation with research partners. Many projects are carried out in close collaboration with the business sector, societal actors, and other universities. Funders include the European Union, federal ministries, cross-regional research funding organisations, foundations, business-sector funding organisations, companies, and Hamburg state ministries.
The externally funded research activities are intended to generate new academic or technical knowledge or to expand the existing body of knowledge, with the findings made available to the broader public. These findings remain the property of the university and are made accessible via publication.
If you would like to design and carry out an externally funded project with HAW Hamburg, please contact the individual expert you would like to work with or the HAW Hamburg Research Service. The research service supports all university members who wish to plan and implement a research and development project in securing external funding.
You can see the externally funded research projects currently underway at HAW Hamburg at Projects A-Z.
Contract research and research services
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Contract research involves research activities that are commissioned by third parties.
- The comissioning parties may be companies or research institutions. They determine the goal of the project and usually hold the patent and proprietary rights that result from the research work.
- There is a classic exchange of service for payment or product for money.
- A contract is required.
HAW Hamburg's research services are targeted primarily at small and mid-sized companies that require additional services with specialised technical skills for their product and process innovation work. In addition to supporting businesses from the Hamburg region, we are active cross-regionally and internationally.
Contract research and research services can be differentiated based on the following criteria:
| Contract research | Research services |
| Goal-oriented, open to various findings, clear research plan, university has strong interest in project publications, no specific outcome required | Clear and concrete goal, precise research plan, university has no interest in project publications, specific outcome required |
Cooperation with partners at HAW Hamburg
Our numerous and wide-ranging research, development and transfer activities are bundled within various structures and institutions. In addition to the research undertaken by individual researchers, our professors and research staff also work on jointly defined research topics within our competence centres, research and transfer centres, and research groups.
Competence centers
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In our competence centers (CCs), we undertake interdisciplinary, cross-faculty work on key future-oriented topics.
Research and transfer centres
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The research and transfer centres are collaborations between at least three professors, who are usually from one faculty, and in some cases additional academic staff. They undertake joint transfer-oriented projects on particular research topics.
Research groups
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The research groups are made up of at least three professors, and in some cases additional academic staff, who address a jointly defined research question and carry out related projects, usually at the department level but sometimes across departments and faculties. You can find information about the research groups on our Research Programme pages and those of the faculties and departments.
