Roland Zengerle receives UNIPRENEURS Prize for Successful Technology Transfer
Freiburg, 23/09/2026
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle, head of the Laboratory for MEMS applications at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Engineering and director of the Hahn-Schickard Institute in Freiburg, was awarded the UNIPRENEURS Prize on 22 September 2026 for his commitment to research spin-offs. Ten startups from his research environment demonstrate how successful technology transfer can be.
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle was awarded the UNIPRENEURS Prize for his commitment to spin-offs. Photo: Wolfgang Sperl
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle, head of the Laboratory for MEMS Application at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Engineering and director of the Hahn-Schickard Institute in Freiburg, was awarded the UNIPRENEURS Prize on 22 September 2026 in Berlin for his outstanding commitment to research spin-offs and technology transfer. He is among 20 professors to be selected from more than 800 nominations this year. UNIPRENEURS is an initiative dedicated to strengthening research spin-offs at German universities, organized and implemented by Stifterverband. The initiative is sponsored jointly by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
To date, Zengerle’s research activities have led to a total of ten startups that employ around 240 researchers and engineers today, including Dermagnostix, ionysis, Pico BioScience, and AddimusBio. Three of these companies, including the Freiburg companies Biofluidix and Cytena, have since been acquired by global market leaders in the field of laboratory automation and are continuing to expand these activities at their Freiburg facilities.
„Prof. Dr. Zengerle’s research spin-offs and the jobs they have created are a striking example of how his commitment translates scientific discoveries into economic growth. His work makes a significant contribution to our goal at the University of Freiburg of helping to solve pressing problems with our research. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to him on this well-deserved award on behalf of the entire University“
Prof. Dr. Stefan Rensing
Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at the University of Freiburg
‘Prof. Dr. Zengerle’s research spin-offs and the jobs they have created are a striking example of how his commitment translates scientific discoveries into economic growth. His work makes a significant contribution to our goal at the University of Freiburg of helping to solve pressing problems with our research. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to him on this well-deserved award on behalf of the entire University’, says Prof. Dr. Stefan Rensing, Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at the University of Freiburg.
Freiburg’s startup ecosystem: Research ideas become successful companies
‘Our research has the greatest impact when research findings lead to concrete applications. Startups are an important vehicle for bringing new technologies to market’, says Zengerle. He has held the position of professor at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Engineering since 1999 and has served additionally as director of the Hahn-Schickard institute since 2005. Among other topics, his research focuses on microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies, in which small quantities of liquids can be analysed automatically on a single chip. His research findings are used in areas like medical diagnostics and laboratory automation, for example in order to selectively isolate individual cells and analyse them genetically.
At Freiburg’s research institutions, basic and applied research are closely intertwined with entrepreneurship: ‘In Freiburg, we have a functioning startup ecosystem in which the University, Hahn-Schickard, and further partners pool their strengths. This generates an environment in which good research ideas can become successful companies’, says Zengerle.
“In Freiburg, we have a functioning startup ecosystem in which the University, Hahn-Schickard, and further partners pool their strengths. This generates an environment in which good research ideas can become successful companies.”
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle
Head of the Laboratory for MEMS Application at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Engineering and director of the Hahn-Schickard Institute in Freiburg
As Zengerle was unable to accept the prize in person, Dr. Thurid Gspann from the University of Freiburg’s Technology Transfer Office and Dr. Peter Koltay from Hahn-Schickard accepted it on his behalf. Koltay is an interim section head at Hahn-Schickard and has been involved in several research spin-offs that emerged from Zengerle’s research.
About UNIPRENEURS
UNIPRENEURS is an initiative dedicated to strengthening research spin-offs at German universities. Stifterverband is responsible for organizing and implementing the initiative, and it is sponsored jointly by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The German Startup Association, Bitkom, and AddedVal.io support the initiative as partners. The prize is awarded every three years.
About Hahn-Schickard
Hahn-Schickard develops intelligent products with microsystems engineering. The research and development service provider has institutes at three locations in Baden-Württemberg: Stuttgart, Villingen-Schwenningen, and Freiburg. In collaboration with industry partners, Hahn-Schickard realizes innovative products and develops technologies in the areas of sensor systems, microelectronics, electronic packaging, embedded systems and AI, medical technology, and the life sciences, as well as molecular diagnostics.