An efficient way to find new co-operation partners with high potential for the application and further development of our own know-how is to be present at industrial trade fairs. This is also effective far beyond the immediate trade fair period thanks to a wide range of media and communication opportunities surrounding the trade fair.

FoMa at TU Wien has been organising trade fair appearances by various institutes and faculties at important industry trade fairs abroad since 2011. The target group for these appearances are innovative foreign companies in particular. They should and can be won over as new co-operation partners for TU Wien..

Depending on the field of research and the desired cooperation partners, there are various recommended trade fairs. The Hannover Messe, which takes place annually in April, is particularly broad in terms of content and yet of high quality. It is considered the world's largest and most important industrial trade fair, where between 130,000 (since Corona) and 190,000 to 220,000 trade visitors (before Corona) from a wide range of industries look for innovations for their field of activity and around 4,000 exhibitors (or 5 to 6,000 exhibitors before Corona) present their ideas, concepts and products. TU Wien has also been present with joint stands at SIAE and FIA (aviation) as well as Analytica and Biotechnica or Labvolution (chemistry, pharmacy, biotechnology, process and laboratory technology) - all of which take place at staggered 2-year intervals - or SPS IPC Drives (automation and electric drives).

FoMa supports research groups in the selection and design of exhibits, which are often created especially for a trade fair. During the preparation phase, FoMa works with the researchers to identify the advantages and potential applications of the expertise to be presented and develops the key messages for the individual target groups. Only then is it possible to design an attractive presentation and create an effective trade fair flyer as well as targeted press work and the use of various mass media in an efficient manner.

If required, so-called trade fair training sessions are offered in which the researchers prepare for the specific presentation together with FoMa - if there is sufficient demand, also together with an external expert. Such a workshop is based on the formulated core messages and the draft flyer and should generally take place four to six weeks before the trade fair. The trade fair training focusses on the targeted initiation of specific new collaborations and can significantly increase the trade fair success of TU exhibitors. The trade fair training and the steps leading up to it as well as the trade fair itself and its follow-up considerably expand the usual wealth of experience of scientists. The experience gained can be transferred to a variety of other situations involving the initiation and realisation of new collaborations with previously unknown partners.

A large number of important trade fairs are aimed at industry, trade, commerce, interest groups, international organisations or even public administration and political decision-makers. These so-called "industrial trade fairs" require good content to be polished to a high gloss. A successful presence requires a certain amount of effort, great commitment and a lot of energy. Research results must be made comprehensible for the corporate audience and coherent messages must be communicated via various channels. The FoMa at TU Wien provides content-related and financial support for this.

FoMa offers:

• up to 50% of the co-financing of direct material costs (does not include travel and accommodation costs)
• a mobile exhibition stand (incl. transport trolley) for hire
• advice on finding and formulating the core messages and promising target groups
• help with organisational and practical issues relating to the trade fair appearance
• copywriting and design of flyers and exhibition walls (in exceptional cases also roll-ups) for the exhibition

FoMa is currently unable to offer the conception and realisation of joint TU stands across faculties until further notice (this is expected to apply until around September 2024). However, FoMa is happy to provide practical and/or financial support to researchers and spin-offs who wish to present themselves at trade fairs and exhibitions abroad.

In selected cases, FoMa also assists in maintaining contacts, developing co-operation ideas or finding prices for co-operation projects or products. Sometimes a kind of translation aid is required for the formulation of a project, which ensures a common understanding between the need for research funding for the research group on the one hand and the company's need for expertise or services on the other. This can also involve the modularisation of the overall project, with clever staggering and selection of the respective module costs. The conditions must be attractive for both sides to ensure a "speedy project". Peter Heimerl at FoMa is happy to make his experience available for this purpose - depending on the current possibilities.

Targeted work with trade media and industry magazines can also generate high-quality new contacts - whether as a follow-up to a trade fair or independently of a trade fair appearance.

The most interesting experiences after organising more than 20 joint TU Wien stands at major international trade fairs and supporting a number of individual presentations are:

A good trade fair presentation can leave far more lasting impressions on visitors in a short space of time than a detailed technical article or congress contribution. The combined effect of sensory "grasping" of an attractive exhibit, explanatory expertise and inspiring questions from stand supervisors as well as a meaningful exhibit flyer creates sensory perceptions and long-lasting reverberations.

In the atmosphere of curiosity and intensive communication that prevails at an important trade fair, company people are far more open and willing to engage in more intensive discussions than at other events - because they are in a mode that is rare: fully focussed on the goal of finding something new that will take their company forward.Es kommen sehr potente Interessenten aus aller Welt aus Branchen und Anwendungen, an die man zuvor noch nie gedacht hatte, mit der TU Wien intensiv ins Gespräch über ihr neuestes Know-how.

It is not uncommon for researchers to receive important impulses for new development steps or for new research in new fields of application at a trade fair.

At a trade fair, new developments from TU Wien also find a resonance in foreign media such as company journals, platforms and industry magazines that would otherwise be difficult to achieve without expensive adverts

Several exhibits on one stand usually attract far more interested visitors than exhibits exhibited individually. When innovations from different disciplines are exhibited together, there is a good chance that visitors - especially from larger companies - will also discover a second or third particularly "hot" TU innovation idea for themselves.

Several exhibits on one stand usually attract far more interested visitors than exhibits exhibited individually. If innovations from different specialist areas are exhibited together, there is a good chance that visitors - especially from larger companies - will also discover a second or third particularly "hot" TU innovation idea for themselves. High-ranking EU representatives, such as energy or science commissioners or members of parliamentary committees, are also more likely to be attracted to talks with TU representatives if they have several topics and exhibits.

The best way to communicate research results at a trade fair is to use a functional prototype as an exhibit. However, the results of basic research for which no functional prototype is yet available can also be effectively communicated1 to various user industries worldwide, e.g. through an attractive principle model or an "eye-catcher" that attracts interested parties and invites them to a further technical discussion.

"We went to the trade fair with a novel concept for commercial thermochemical energy storage systems without having a prototype. We came back with over 40 contacts and seven potential cooperation partners in very different fields of application, none of whom we knew beforehand. These companies came from Europe, India and Japan."
Priv.-Doz. Peter Weinberger, Institute for Applied Synthetic Chemistry

"We were already talking to the first interested party about specific feasibility studies the month after the trade fair, then signed an NDA and the project contract was formulated just four months after the trade fair."
Prof Andreas Werner, Institute of Energy Technology and Thermodynamics

"By taking part in the trade fair, I saved myself 10 company visits, including travelling by plane and preparing for them - apart from the fact that it is uncertain whether I would have been able to get appointments with these decision-makers and their experts in the foreseeable future."
Prof Stefan Biffl, Institute for Information Systems Engineering

"In addition to the entire trade fair organisation, two of Peter Heimerl's initiatives were important to me: getting back the exclusive rights to use our research results in advance of the trade fair, which had already gone to project partners some time ago as part of an EU project - thanks to his efforts, this was successful. And his support in getting an editorial article in a major German industry magazine - which led to several enquiries and subsequently to a very interesting new field of application."
Priv.-Doz. Dr Ferdinand Bammer, Institute of Production Engineering and High-Power Laser Technology

"These joint stands help to attract new clients and polish the international image of TU Wien. These stands are centres of attraction and innovation hotspots for industry. They signalise: 'TU Wien is an R&D partner of choice for industry worldwide'. I have been familiar with several trade fairs as an exhibitor for many years and can say that these TU appearances under the direction of Peter Heimerl are excellent business cards for TU Wien."
Prof Manfred Schrödl, Institute for Energy Systems and Electrical Drives