About the Program
What the workshop is about
The format enables researchers to systematically assess their research for market relevance – with AI support and proven innovation methods.
Analyze your research with AI-supported patent data and identify concrete fields of application, industries, and target groups – data-based, structured, and traceable.
With the TRIZ Reverse method and an AI-supported analysis tool, you learn to think about your research from entirely new angles – and to discover cross-industry opportunities that aren't obvious at first glance.
In the end you have your own Opportunity Paper: a first, data-based foundation for your next steps – a starting point you can build on later, for example for an EXIST application, your commercialization strategy, or the path into self-employment.
Connect with fellow researchers, startup experts, and the NXTGN ecosystem – and meet people who can actively support your path to founding.
CONTENT AND PROCEDURE
In three days from research to market opportunity
The workshop runs over three consecutive on-site days: Tools & analysis, from research to application, and from opportunity to impact – on the third day you present your results and receive feedback and an outlook.
Intro: Introduction to Innovation Logic as well as AI-supported analysis tools – and why patent and publication analysis is relevant for your research.
Hands-on: You analyze your own research in a function-oriented way and understand its working principles.
First analyses: Innovation mapping as well as patent and publication activity in your research field.
Result: A data-based overview that lets you assess the innovation and application potential of your research yourself.
Intro: Reverse TRIZ and cross-industry thinking – you look at your research from new angles.
Hands-on: AI-supported exploration of fields of application and opportunity spaces; you develop and prioritize concrete use cases and sharpen market potential and value proposition.
Result: Robust application scenarios and a convincing opportunity story.
Hands-on: You sharpen your best opportunity, identify relevant stakeholders and commercialization perspectives, and prepare your final presentation. You present your results in a supportive setting and receive feedback from experts and peers.
Result: Clearly worked-out use cases, a convincing rationale, and a clear picture of your next steps.
Hard facts
Duration: 3 days, 9 am–6 pm each
Location: on-site at the Ulm University (KI Campus Ulm)
Language: English
Participation: Free of charge
Catering: included (snacks & drinks)
Bring: Your research and your own laptop
Prerequisites: None – neither computer science nor patent knowledge required
Completion: Certificate upon successful participation
What you take away:
You work with your own research from day one. Concretely, you leave the workshop with these results:
Do you have questions or need support planning your next steps? Get in touch directly
Conditions of participation
Discover the market potential of your research
This is how the workshop fits you:
You are a researcher at a partner university
Researchers at the universities in the NXTGN consortium can take part:
You bring your own research or technology
Ideally you bring your own research, your technology, or an invention. A patent or a formal patent strategy is not required – researchers without IP status are also welcome.
You have time for all three workshop days
All three days on-site
(3–5 Aug).
Approx. 8 hrs each.
Open to all disciplines
The workshop is open to researchers from all disciplines, regardless of field.
All topics are welcome.
Experts & Method Leads
Experienced experts guide your workshop
In the workshop, you work with recognized specialists in patent methodology, AI-supported technology analysis, and innovation research.
Dr. Birgit Stelzer
Facilitator
• Innovation Methods
• TRIZ Reverse
• AI-supported Opportunity Discovery
• Use Case Development
Bernd Haußmann
(Dipl.-Ing. )
Facilitator
• Technology & Engineering
• TRIZ Reverse
• AI-supported Technology Scouting
• Industrial Innovation
Dr. Simon Dewulf
Technology Partner
• Innovation Logic & TRIZ
• Patent Inspiration (AULIVE)
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the Patent to Opportunity Workshop
The workshop is aimed at researchers, PhD candidates, and post-docs at partner universities in the NXTGN consortium (KIT, University of Stuttgart, Heidelberg University, Ulm University, Hochschule der Medien) who work on their own research, technology, invention, or an application interest with market potential. A patent or a formal patent strategy is not required. Researchers without IP status are also welcome.
The goal is to make the market and career potential of your research systematically visible. With guidance, you develop your own Opportunity Paper: a data-based foundation with a technology landscape, market logics, and first implementation approaches – a starting point for your next steps, such as your commercialization strategy or a potential spin-off.
You should bring your own research, a technology, an invention, or an application interest. No prior knowledge is needed – neither computer science nor patent knowledge. A patent is not a prerequisite.
The workshop runs over three consecutive on-site days: Day 1 – Tools & analysis (AI-supported analysis, working principles of your research), Day 2 – From research to application (Reverse TRIZ, use cases, market potential), and Day 3 – From opportunity to impact (sharpening, stakeholders, final presentation with feedback).
You develop concrete use cases and a structured analysis of your research with identified cross-industry fields of application, market-trend clusters, and an initial value-creation logic. With guidance, you turn this into your own Opportunity Paper, which you can use for your next steps. Upon successful participation, you also receive a certificate.
All workshop days are on-site events at partner universities in the NXTGN consortium.
Location WS 1: AI Campus (KICU), Ulm University.
From WS 2, further locations in Baden-Württemberg are planned.
The next workshop takes place 3–5 Aug 2026 in Ulm.
The workshop is free of charge.
The workshop is held in English.
Yes. Upon successful participation, you receive a certificate that you can use for your academic and professional development.
Contact
Do you have questions or want to apply?
Get in touch directly – we'll help you plan the next steps.
Melanie Kamrath
Head of Startup Support and EXIST
Ulm University
Denis Nakov
Project Manager P2O
Program Research Activation
NXTGN Management GmbH
The "Patent to Opportunity" format is carried out by Ulm University as part of the NXTGN Startup Factory, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) under the EXIST "Startup Factories" program.
