Advancement and opening of the SME-network of the GGG

The SME-network of the GGG had been active under the umbrella of the GGG from December 2008 to October 2014. During this period, stable networks between the university and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been formed and successful measures have been established that will now be stabilized on different levels.

The SME-network has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) over a period of nearly six years. It was largely supported by the five member faculties, the executive board and the GGG team. The SME-network was furthermore accompanied by an advisory board, which is composed of company representatives, chambers and university, and which allowed indispensable proposals and contacts.
The key objective of the project was to promote the scientific exchange as well as the establishment of contacts between small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Lower Saxony with PhD-students of the social sciences. As a result, new career perspectives within the region are opened and consequently the positioning of regional SMEs is improved by the development of scientific competencies. By reducing the brain drain from the region it moreover contributes to a positive regional development.

Since November 2014 the established networks and measures within the region will be largely continued. For this purpose, the activities of the SME-network were effectively "bifurcated": Measures relating to knowledge transfer and networking between university and economy will be centrally continued by the newly created position Business Contacts within the Public Relations staff unit. They will be opened beyond the Social Sciences for the entire university and further developed. The GGG will continue to offer the established training opportunities regarding career perspectives outside the university to PhD-students of the Social Sciences.

In addition, both facilities will carry on jointly with the new format of mentoring for careers in economy (KaWirMento). It aims at facilitating starting a career in enterprises for PhD-students and PostDocs and at transferring knowledge of entrepreneurs directly to the university. While the GGG qualifies PhD-students for professional practice and attracts suitable PhD-students as mentees, especially the matching of the mentee and the mentor from economy is specifically supported by the Business Contacts unit.