Business and science – inspiring each other. First joint symposium by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Würth Group at Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch Hall

During the two-day event, 18 up-and-coming Würth trainees, referred to as High Potentials, and 18 junior EMBL researchers dealt with four focus subjects. How can interdisciplinary innovation potential be utilized by both private businesses and research institutions across multiple industries and sectors? How do you win over talent and turn them into loyal staff? How can a research idea become a start-up company? Last but not least: How should the business plan be set up for such a start-up?

The symposium was initiated by Professor Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group's Family Trusts, who, in his welcome address, highlighted a down-to-earth mentality and curiosity as the basic preconditions for success. Prof. Würth emphasized that this symposium should first and foremost be seen as an experiment while also stressing what both sides have in common: both science and research and successful businesses are always choosing new, creative paths. Professor Dr. Matthias Hentze, EMBL Director, emphasized that the freedom to pursue new ideas was just as important. For more than 40 years, the EMBL had been offering such freedom by providing junior researchers with the best conditions and cutting-edge technology and encouraging them to dedicate themselves to challenging research issues.

The participants also gained new impetus during guided visits to the latest exhibitions at Kunsthalle Würth and Johanniterkirche in Schwäbisch Hall.

About the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences.Founded in 1974 as an intergovernmental organization, it is funded by more than 20 member states.The cornerstones of the EMBL’s mission include: performing basic research in molecular biology;training junior scientists and fostering a network for the life sciences across Europe.More than 1,600 employees from over 80 countries work at the laboratory’s five units in Heidelberg, in Hinxton (UK), Grenoble (France), Hamburg, and Monterotondo (Italy).Furthermore, the EMBL is dedicated to developing new research tools and methods and is actively involved in technology transfer activities.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the world's market leader in its core business, the trade of assembly and fastening materials.It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 71,000 employees on its payroll.Approximately 31,500 of them are salaried sales representatives.

In the core business line, the Würth Line, the product range for trade and industry comprises over 125,000 products:from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, chemical-technical products and personal protective equipment.

The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services.They generate approximately 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.