From Amsterdam to Erfurt - SHAPE Workshop 2026

On 16 April 2026, the Founders Service of the University of Erfurt was part of the international SHAPE workshop"SHAPE - The Driver of European Competitiveness" at the Humanities Venture Lab of the University of Amsterdam and returned with fresh ideas, new perspectives and a strengthened European network.

The exchange centred on the question of how the humanities, social sciences and cultural sciences (SHAPE - Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and Economy) can act as drivers of social innovation and European competitiveness. In intensive discussions and practical formats, the team was able to gain valuable impetus for its own work - in particular for the stronger anchoring of knowledge transfer, social impact and new forms of entrepreneurship beyond classic start-up logic.

One particular highlight was the active employee participation in an international group project: together with colleagues from Norway and Austria, the Founders Service developed a concise two-minute stakeholder pitch for the effective communication of transfer and impact ideas.

The open and collaborative working methods of the SHAPE Impact Collective colleagues were also particularly inspiring, as they actively encouraged dialogue on an equal footing and the development of joint ideas. At the same time, the workshop offered the opportunity to get to know numerous committed partner institutions from all over Europe and to create new points of contact for future collaborations.

For the University of Erfurt's Founders Service, this once again confirms that the university's profile in the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies offers great potential for developing innovative solutions to social challenges and providing sustainable impetus for the economy and society.