From 18 to 21 May 2026, the University of Duisburg-Essen hosted the Aurora Annual Conference 2026, welcoming researchers, students, and university leaders from across Europe to discuss the future of higher education, sustainability, and innovation.

A particular highlight for the Chair for Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems was the plenary session “Innopreneurship: From Peer Review to Revenue”, held on 20 May. The panel focused on how universities can better connect academic research with entrepreneurship and societal impact.

The session featured Hannes Rothe alongside Anne-Karen Hueske, Dana Pietralla, and Lena Katharina Bödeker, moderated by Tomasz Waliczko. The discussion explored how digital ecosystems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking can help transform research into sustainable innovation.

The panel also emphasized the evolving role of universities as drivers of innovation and cross-sector collaboration. In this context, sustainability and entrepreneurship were presented as closely interconnected approaches to addressing societal challenges.

The conference marked another important step in strengthening European collaboration within the Aurora network and highlighted the growing importance of innovation-oriented research and education.

More information about the conference is available on the official Aurora website: Aurora Annual Conference 2026