Check-In in Berlin: Our teams at HAFIS midterm

13.02.2025 Aline Kinzie News

Halfway there! Teams and coaches of the current HAFIS cycle spent two days at the midterm in Berlin. Here, the current state of the projects was presented, feedback was gathered and new goals were set.

“Thank you for listening. Do you have any questions?” This or a similar phrase was heard 16 times at the end of a project pitch at the HAFIS midterm. At the Liane Event Space in Berlin, both PhDs and senior researchers from the four Helmholtz centers Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI), Helmholtzzentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) came together.

On February 5 and 6, the researchers devoted themselves to further developing their transfer projects. Many of the teams and coaches had arrived the evening before, and a dinner together highlighted the good group dynamics that formed the basis for the next few days. Optimal conditions for the pitches: All teams presented the current state of their projects in a 5-10 minute presentation. The round was characterized by motivated presenters and interested questions.

Clear progress

The midterm presentation marks a major milestone for the teams. The HAFIS participants have been working on their ideas since the joint kick-off on September 24-25, 2024 in Cologne. They represent various research areas, from laser cutters to botany to physiotherapy. This makes the exchange with both the coaches and the participants all the more interesting.

After the pitches, feedback was collected in several rounds. Thanks to questions and feedback from different perspectives, the researchers were able to further advance their ideas, identify development potential and define next steps. Above all, the personal insights made the midterm days so inspiring.

In the coming months, individual coaching and power-ups are again on the agenda at the research centers, before the teams meet again in June for Impact Day in Dresden. This is where the HAFIS Cycle will come to an end when the participants present their projects on stage at the Saxon Innovation Conference.

Out of your comfort zone

Part of HAFIS is also a change of scenery: participants take a step back from their desks and laboratories and sharpen their presentation and communication skills. This can help them to pursue their ideas more precisely, find new collaborators and inspire enthusiasm in pitches.

In addition to smaller impulses from the coaches, the communications workshop was therefore also a particular highlight. Together with two trainers from the improvisational theater Foxy Freestyle, the participants were able to try things out and be creative for two hours. The lesson learned: making mistakes is perfectly fine and when we speak without planned phrases, our body and speech are more relaxed on stage.

What is HAFIS?

To make more out of one’s own scientific knowledge and in doing so make a positive contribution to the development of our society. This mission is shared by many researchers – regardless of which institution or scientific discipline they come from. This is precisely where the Helmholtz Academy for Intrapreneurship (HAFIS) comes in. The program is part of the Helmholtz Transfer Academies and brings together researchers from the four Helmholtz centers Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). More than 30 researchers participated in the first HAFIS cycle, which ended in September 2024.

HAFIS is aimed at researchers from all disciplines. The program lasts about nine months and includes workshops, coaching, and the development of the participants’ own projects. The next cycle is expected to start in September 2025, with the application phase beginning in May 2025.