NeoHub: AI-powered platform connecting research and industry awarded €560,000 in federal funding
The right partnership between research and industry can produce game-changing innovations—like mRNA vaccines and the Mp3 file—but finding the perfect match can be a major challenge for businesses and researchers alike. A newly funded project from Constructor University and industry partner Neovation GmbH plans to tackle this problem head on with NeoHub, an AI-powered platform that will quickly and intelligently find optimal R&D partnerships for companies and research institutions in Germany. The 36-month project has been awarded €560,000 in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).
“In large and complex economies like Germany’s, the hidden cost of innovations that never happen because of ‘missed connections’ between industry and research is widespread and significant,” said Professor Dr.-ing. Hendro Wicaksono, Constructor University Professor of Data-Driven Industrial Systems and NeoHub Project Lead.
“Especially in STEM-focused regions like Bremen, many promising research projects go unfunded because researchers can't find the right industry partner to bring the idea to market. Similarly, companies in specialized spaces like advanced manufacturing or aerospace may struggle to find a research team with the right expertise and resources to innovate the solutions they need.”
AI-powered matchmaking
NeoHub will address this problem by using artificial intelligence, large language models and semantic modeling to match research capability to market need quickly and effectively. Unlike traditional keyword-based search tools, NeoHub’s intelligent design will be capable of understanding the meaning and context behind projects and proposals. This will allow its users to describe their innovation challenges or ideas using natural language and receive ranked, tailored recommendations that overcome language, terminology and other barriers.
The platform will cater to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, who may have limited networks and struggle to locate suitable research collaborations or funding opportunities. The goal is to make partner discovery quicker, easier and more intuitive for experts and non-experts alike, opening new opportunities for collaboration between science and industry. In high-tech, fast-moving sectors like Bremen's innovation ecosystem, the speed and strength with which these partnerships are formed can make the difference between a billion-dollar valuation and a failed venture.
NeoHub itself is a research partnership between Constructor University and Neovation GmbH, a consulting firm that works with SMEs and research institutions to build high-yield R&D consortia. “With NeoHub, we want to lower one of the biggest barriers in innovation: finding the right partners at the right time," said Marco Sparovek, Managing Director of Neovation GmbH. “Researchers need a problem to solve and a real-world opportunity to validate and develop their concepts. Meanwhile, SMEs may be stuck with a product or problem, and simply lack the right connections or resources to help them solve it. We believe NeoHub can be the link that addresses both of these needs.”
Novel solution for a familiar problem
For Prof. Wicaksono, the project represents a chance to build the tool he himself could have used when he was a young researcher new to Germany. “When I first started at Constructor University, I had promising ideas but struggled to find industry partners to collaborate with. This severely limited my opportunities because many research funding sources in Germany require an SME as an industry partner,” he explained. Like countless researchers and companies, Prof. Wicaksono invested significant time and effort on manual searches and personal outreach to slowly build a research network and awareness of the rules and norms that govern Germany’s research community. “My hope is that NeoHub can help open doors for young researchers that took me years to get through,” he said.
The €560,000 awarded by Germany’s BMWE, together with €280,000 from Neovation GmbH, will provide €840,000 in total funding to design and develop the NeoHub platform prototype over the next three years, with the first pilotable elements expected in year two. Constructor University is responsible for developing the AI-driven matching intelligence, while Neovation GmbH will oversee the data foundation, platform architecture, integration and user testing. Together, the two partners plan to build a practical and valuable solution that is highly relevant to Germany’s research and innovation-driven economy. extended producer responsibility.”