Competitiveness lies at the heart of the European Commission’s strategic agenda—not only as economic performance, but as the ability to generate innovation and respond to global challenges. In addition to technological expertise, this requires an understanding of—and changes within—society, culture, and politics.

This is precisely where the University of Duisburg-Essen comes in as part of the pilot project Catalyst GER. The aim is to support researchers from the SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People, the Economy and Ecology) in translating their ideas and research findings into tangible societal, political, or entrepreneurial impact. This approach is also attracting considerable interest across Europe.

This became particularly evident at the workshop „SHAPE – The Driver of European Competitiveness?!“  held on April 16, 2026, at the Humanities Venture Lab of the University of Amsterdam. Participants from Denmark, the UK, and the Netherlands, among others, came together to discuss how research in the humanities, social sciences, and education can be more effectively transferred into society.

At the event, Frida Koslowski (SHAPE Impact Collective) and Patrick Krenz (UDE / GUIDE) presented the pilot project “Catalyst GER.” The insights into its implementation at the University of Duisburg-Essen and within the University Alliance Ruhr sparked strong interest among other European universities, many of which are keen to initiate similar collaborative projects. In particular, the hands-on experiences demonstrated how such an initiative can be embedded within institutions, how appropriate incentive structures can be created, and how new pathways for impact in the SHAPE domain can be established.