30 years of Bayern Innovativ: From vision to success

22.04.2025

To mark the 30th anniversary of Bayern Innovativ GmbH, we take a look back - and forward. Prof. Dr. Josef Nassauer was there at the very beginning in 1995 and led Bayern Innovativ through its first years. Dr. Rainer Seßner has been the CEO of the Bavarian innovation agency since 2016. What has happened in three decades? What visions shaped the beginning - and what role does Bayern Innovativ play in the Bavarian innovation ecosystem today? A conversation about change, impact and the courage to think outside the box.

Dr. Seßner, what was your personal motivation for managing the company and are there any parallels with Prof. Nassauer?

Dr. Rainer Seßner: The parallels were just very clear. I also worked in industry for almost 20 years, always at the interface between science and business. I started out in a technology-oriented company, in research and development as a developer, where I repeatedly developed new business models based on new technologies and new inventions. And I was also able to do this again and again with my subsequent employers. That's what drove me. For example, I was also able to establish an industry and campus professorship as part of the Excellence Initiative. Again, these were parallels and interfaces that arose.
The big difference for me was actually that I had had nothing to do with politics until then. For me, it was more of a surprise how the interaction developed. But I can say that it's incredibly enjoyable and it's one of the nicest jobs you can actually have, managing this company.

Prof. Nassauer, what challenges did founding the company entail?

Prof. Dr. Josef Nassauer: There were numerous challenges. We started with three employees. This meant that it was of course always necessary to recruit suitable employees. We have always had a considerable proportion of women.
A second key point was the question: where should the focus be?
After some time in consultation with the Supervisory Board, I developed a matrix with ten future-oriented technologies and sectors. This gave us a field of activity. And what the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Minister Dr. Wiesheu actually had in mind was that we should create platforms and ultimately networks for those who are already on the move and are looking for additional partners. And that was a major challenge, because Minister Dr. Wiesheu's requirement was: "We don't know how to do it, but it has to be a success".

What are the current challenges facing Bayern Innovativ today, Dr. Seßner?

Dr. Rainer Seßner: In the last ten years, we have grown from around 100 employees to over 350. And of course we have to adapt our processes and organization. In fact, we are in a state of constant change.
On the one hand, we are very lucky in Bavaria that we have a lot of really strong initiatives that are active in this innovation ecosystem. And at the same time, it is not only a blessing but also a curse to create the connection in this ecosystem. This has always been and continues to be a major challenge for Bayern Innovativ.
Today, we see ourselves as a network of networks and actually establishing this so that we can move forward with these partner organizations and with this entire ecosystem and master this complexity - that is the second major challenge.
And the third challenge is the dynamics of our time, but also the political dynamics. I see these short spans, in which something new has to be created and is created again and again, as an enormous challenge.

What were the first major successes and milestones of Bayern Innovativ in the early years, Prof. Nassauer?

Prof. Dr. Josef Nassauer: A key starting point was that we overcame certain fears. Because it was a very different time back then. Many people said at the time: "We're not cooperating, we're competitors". It was important to develop a mindset first. Back then, there was no e-mail system and no websites. It was even said that a craftsman would never have a website. I already knew from my work in the US company that it would happen. On the other hand, it was also a great advantage because people were much more interested in meeting in person.
One of the first milestones was the "Construction Technology Exchange" initiated by the Ministry of Economics in Nuremberg in 1996. I was able to provide the relevant impetus because I was also responsible for so-called building services in my industry work. In other words, I was responsible for all the construction work at the European Research Center in Perlach. I had good connections for that. And bringing such people into the Technology Exchange naturally gave a different impetus to people from an administrative background.
Another building block was added in 1997: A cooperation forum in the field of new materials. At the time, this was the focus in the business world and also in the political environment. It was a great success. It was also a great success because it was the basis for the first "Zulieferer Innovativ" to be held in Ingolstadt a year later.

No websites, no internet, no social media: this makes face-to-face meetings all the more important. What role did the networks play here?

Prof. Dr. Josef Nassauer: The networks were formed through the participants of the platforms. And this then grew more and more into a community that didn't even have the awareness of belonging to a network at the beginning, but simply met up. So the platforms were the birth of the establishment of networks.

In your opinion, Dr. Seßner, which past projects or developments have had a particularly lasting impact on the company?

Dr. Rainer Seßner: Exactly these strong and dynamic networks. And that is what distinguishes Bayern Innovativ in my view. Bayern Innovativ GmbH is actually THE large network. Within this network, dynamic communities have repeatedly developed with companies, institutes, the scientific community and also with politicians in the various subject areas. These were then able to react specifically to new developments and change and adapt dynamically over the years. And that is precisely what is important: this rapid dynamic adaptation to technological developments, market trends and the like. And I was able to build on that.
The second thing I was able to build on was this excellence, which was already very important back then. In other words, great company representatives or scientists who were part of these networks and then also contributed to these networks shaping the corresponding knowledge transfer. These many strong networks were not only created within Bayern Innovativ, but also around Bayern Innovativ, such as the Cluster Offensive. And over the years, many of these initiatives have also been integrated into Bayern Innovativ. The Centre for Digitalization, the Mechatronics and Automation Cluster and the Bavarian Patent Centre have become a new part of our growth with new tasks, new networks and new services.

With the Bavarian Patent Centre, we have taken over an organization that has a much longer history. We have integrated almost 150 years of history into Bayern Innovativ. And for me, these are the successes of the last ten years that have enabled us to develop further on the basis of this excellence and strong networks.

Which current technology do you find most exciting?

Dr. Rainer Seßner: I go back to my studies and my doctoral thesis. That was at the Chair of Optics, now the Max Planck Institute for Light. My professor at the time was already working on quantum optics. And in this respect, quantum technology is of course one of the most important future technologies for me and I still have a great deal of pleasure and interest in it. But a technology is never alone. Combining quantum technology with artificial intelligence, for example, creates completely new dimensions and also new challenges that can be shaped.
At the same time, we are also seeing that AI is currently working with an enormous appetite for energy, which means it requires a lot of energy. And the topic of fusion technology is also something that drives me massively. As Bayern Innovativ, we can provide active support here, as we are active in all future fields in Bavaria. For example, with materials, with energy, with production, with digitalization and all these disciplines have a relevant share in these technologies. So when I think of fusion, we need new materials to solve first-wall technologies. We need AI to keep the plasma stable. We need robotics for maintenance, and so on. And these interdisciplinary ones are very exciting for me.

Prof. Dr. Josef Nassauer: It's difficult to add anything else. What fascinates me is the potential of fusion technology. We are still a long way from exhausting the potential of new materials and substances to create new applications. Of course, the topic of AI is also highly relevant, but I take a somewhat differentiated view. AI can bring many advantages in many areas where there are recurring processes. I think every company should familiarize itself with AI. I compare it to computer technology at the end of the 90's. Without computers, you would have fallen behind the competition. But relying on it alone would be a bit of an exaggerated expectation. And overall, it will also be a challenge for us to ensure that we don't fall for any fake information.

What visions do you have for Bayern Innovativ for the next 10 to 20 years, Dr. Seßner?

Dr. Rainer Seßner: Bayern Innovativ's vision for the future is closely linked to the innovation ecosystem. This brings us back to the founding idea of Dr. Wiesheu, who created a wonderful triad with these three sister companies, Bayern Kapital, Bayern International and Bayern Innovativ, in order to drive innovation and the economy forward.
The idea for Bayern Innovativ is to be the strong central innovation network in and for Bavaria, in which dynamic networks can emerge from this large Bayern Innovativ network. And that we continue to be the think tank network for Bavaria, from which great ideas for Bavaria and the world can emerge. And I'm looking forward to that.

The interview was conducted by Dr. Petra Blumenroth, Project Manager Transformation, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nuremberg.

Listen to the full interview as a podcast: