From Open Science to Open Innovation: Strengthening universities’ Third Mission. The case of the InCamS@BI project in Bielefeld, Germany

This paper examines the concept of Open Innovation within the framework of universities’ Third Mission, focusing on Germany and the Innovation Campus for Sustainable Solutions (InCamS@BI) in Bielefeld. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study highlights the importance of translating open science and innovation into tangible societal and economic impact. While Germany performs strongly in research by international standards, the practical transfer of results into societal benefit remains limited. The paper analyzes the growing role of the Third Mission in German higher education through the InCamS@BI project, a collaboration between Bielefeld University and the University of Applied Sciences HSBI. The initiative seeks to build sustainable transfer structures, foster collaboration between academia and business, and test innovative solutions for real-world problems.