"Experimental Space Professorship": Impulses for the Academic System
School |
Universities today face profound challenges. While their financial leeway is shrinking, expectations of them as key players in the international competition for outstanding students and researchers are growing. Added to this is their role as drivers of innovation, as partners for business and society, and as catalysts in comprehensive transformation processes. At the same time, many universities continue to operate within a regulatory framework that, in parts, dates from a bygone era. This hinders flexible, creative solutions to current challenges.
New Opportunities Through Safe Spaces
To explore new avenues, the Volkswagen Foundation’s program “Impulses for the Higher Education System: Strategic Experimental Spaces – University Development Requires Flexibility” supports innovative projects that specifically test new structures and collaborations within the higher education system. The goal is to create safe spaces where universities can work with partners from the political sphere, other universities, and government agencies to develop new models and test them in practice.
Innovation, Technology Transfer, International Networking
A project from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was also officially approved in February 2026. Under the title “Experimental Space Professorship: New Models for Innovation, Transfer, and International Networking,” the project will receive approx. 489,000 euros in funding over a five-year period.
The principal applicants are Professor Thomas F. Hofmann, President of the TUM, as well as Professors Hans-Joachim Bungartz, Dean of the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology and Christoph Kaserer, Dean of the TUM School of Management. Project leaders are Professor Isabell Welpe and Professor Theresa Treffers. The former is not only the holder of the Chair of Strategy and Organization at the TUM School of Management, but also the Scientific Director of the Bayerisches Staatsinstitut für Hochschulforschung und Hochschulplanung (IHF). The latter is a lecturer at the Chair of Strategy and Organization. Their goal is to develop new models for professorships that more closely integrate research, teaching, innovation, and international collaboration.
Overcoming Legal and Administrative Hurdles
At the heart of the project is the idea of a “protected experimental space” where existing legal and administrative barriers can be temporarily relaxed. “As part of our research at the Chair of Strategy and Organization, we have spent many years systematically analyzing the legal and administrative frameworks that prevent professors in Germany from becoming more involved in start-ups, technology transfer projects, or international collaborations,” explains Isabell Welpe. “The result is clear: civil service law, the regulations on secondary employment, and the rules governing official duties are tailored to a monofunctional professorial model consisting of research, teaching, and self-administration.” Today, these regulations often hinder professors from playing an active role in start-ups, international joint appointments, or corporate collaborations. Through targeted adjustments, new forms of professorship will be put to the test without jeopardizing the fundamental principles of the higher education system.
Three Models for the Future
Three different models are planned: In the Entrepreneurial Professorship, professors will be able to participate more strongly and actively in spin-offs. International multiple affiliations will be facilitated within the framework of the Global Network Professorships. This will allow researchers to work simultaneously at several international institutions. Part-time models offered in Industry Bridge Professorships allow professors to work in established companies at the same time, thereby strengthening knowledge transfer and practical relevance.
To test these models, amendments are proposed to the Bayerisches Hochschulinnovationsgesetz (BayHIG), the Bayerische Hochschullehrernebentätigkeitsverordnung (BayHschLNV) and the Bayerisches Beamtengesetz (BayBG), among others. The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts has pledged its support and committed to an in-depth dialogue on the planned reform initiatives. “This isn’t about a new general direction, but about new opportunities where they are desired,” explains Hans-Joachim Bungartz. “Especially at our school, we see a real need for action here. The project addresses obstacles and formal constraints. It aims to explore what is feasible and, where necessary, help push those boundaries.”
Strengthening Innovation and Competition
According to Isabell Welpe, the timing of the project’s launch stems from the interplay of several developments. Since 2023, the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act has indeed provided important impetus for reform through its innovation clause, the startup semester, and new appointment formats. However, the structural bottlenecks that the project aims to address go beyond these instruments. Furthermore, the Draghi Report — a strategic and economic report on the “Future of European Competitiveness” requested by the European Commission in 2023 — clearly shows that Europe urgently needs to strengthen its capacity for innovation.
Additionally, the Expert Commission on Research and Innovation (EFI) confirms that startup rates continue to decline, particularly in the fields of cutting-edge technology and deep tech. The necessary technological innovations and deep-tech startups can only come from scientists. According to Isabell Welpe, however, “they are, in fact, only allowed to start a very small number of companies.” Furthermore, on the political side, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts provides crucial support for necessary reforms.
Blueprint for the German Higher Education System
In the long term, the applicants view the project as a blueprint for the German higher education system. The goal is to demonstrate how universities can once again systematically combine excellent research, high-quality teaching, and effective knowledge transfer. At the same time, the initiative aims to strengthen Germany’s innovative capacity as a hub for science and business and to better position universities for international competition.