Black Forest Innovation Summit 2026: HFU and Volksbank Mittlerer Schwarzwald eG invite local companies to discuss future-relevant topics
Furtwangen University (HFU) continues its forward-looking event series, originally launched in 2024. On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the Black Forest Innovation Summit will bring together regional companies with representatives from academia and politics on the Furtwangen campus. Under the annual theme “Resilient Economy and Region,” the summit serves as a platform for discussing key future issues, new markets and technological developments, and for jointly developing concepts and ideas to enhance resilience. The aim is to generate an impact that extends far beyond the region. The Black Forest Innovation Summit will be held in 2026 in conjunction with Volksbank Mittlerer Schwarzwald eG.
“With the Black Forest Innovation Summit, we have created a format in which we work together with companies from the business sector to develop new paths toward a sustainable Black Forest region,” explains HFU President Dr. Alexandra Bormann. “We understand resilience as the interplay of economic strength, social responsibility and innovative creativity. We are very pleased to have Volksbank Mittlerer Schwarzwald as a partner this year, a partner that is so actively shaping the region’s development.”
The Black Forest Innovation Summit is designed as a series of events by Furtwangen University to systematically connect companies, academia, alumni and other regional stakeholders. Under the guiding principle “Science. Business. Impact,” the focus is on current challenges, new markets, technological developments, and concrete approaches to collaboration. The goal is to translate the exchange on this platform into collective impact and to actively promote cooperation between universities, business, and the region − ranging from joint projects and new knowledge transfer formats to innovative business models.
For the summit on 12 November, the programme includes insights from academia and industry, moderated discussion and exchange sessions, innovation labs and insights into current developments and future topics. The focus is on how regional stakeholders can develop resilient structures and innovative solutions in a dynamic economic and social environment.
With this year’s Black Forest Innovation Summit, Furtwangen University is building on the very well-received inaugural event in 2024, which focused on future-oriented topics, innovation projects, and collaborations between HFU and regional partners. In 2026 as well, HFU sees itself as a “future agency” for the region; the campus in the Black Forest, Europe as its home and a strong focus on innovation provide the framework for jointly conceiving and testing new, resilient paths for economic and social development.
Further information is available on the Furtwangen University website at https://www.hs-furtwangen.de/veranstaltungen/innovation-summit. The detailed programme will be published there shortly, and a registration option will be made available for interested parties.