A study by Steinbeis experts in Villingen-Schwenningen found that theses from vocational schools are worth over a million euros to the regional economy
Universities and academic research institutions have long been regarded as drivers of innovation. But in more recent times, there has also been a greater focus on the role of vocational education institutions. The practically-oriented theses written by future skilled professionals at the end of their courses are of particular value to small and medium-sized enterprises. The experts at the Steinbeis Transfer Center Infothek in Villingen-Schwenningen used the example of their local vocational school for precision mechanics to analyze exactly how much economic value these theses add for the region’s enterprises.
The Staatliche Feintechnikschule in Villingen-Schwenningen is a vocational school with a program that includes a professional development course leading to qualification as a state-certified engineer. The Steinbeis Transfer Center participates in an annual innovation award by providing an expert assessment of the current year’s engineering theses. The theses address real issues faced by companies located in the region. The Steinbeis experts used the following data to calculate the monetary value that the theses add for the participating enterprises:
- Number of graduates each year: 65
- Average time spent on each thesis: 360 hours
- Standard hourly rate in the industry: 45–60 euros
This data provides a reasonably good estimate of the value added for businesses. Assuming an hourly rate of 45 to 60 euros, it comes to between 1.05 and 1.4 million euros a year.
A catalyst for innovation in SMEs
The theses are of particular value to small and medium-sized enterprises that lack a research department of their own. Steinbeis Entrepreneur Wolfgang Müller firmly believes that “The engineering theses are a real catalyst for innovation in these enterprises”. He and his colleagues help businesses to successfully bring new products, processes and services to market. In his experience, the theses have real-world business applications: “They deliver solutions, product optimizations and process improvements that can be quickly implemented in a company’s day-to-day operations”, he says.
Innovation is no longer just a luxury for enterprises in technology-intensive industries – it is key to their survival. New products, more efficient processes and realigned business models must be brought to market in ever shorter cycles. But since smaller businesses have precious little spare cash to invest in risky projects, external ideas can be particularly important to them.
Transferring theses into mass production
“Technical school and university students bring fresh ideas to our business without any preconceived notions. By working with them, we can do things that we often wouldn’t manage to do without their support. This is down to their innovative, experimental and at times even high-risk approach”, says entrepreneur Stefan Huber. Specializing in innovative audio concepts, his company, WHD, employs around 40 people. In 2025, a student at the Feintechnikschule revived a project that had been gathering dust for several years to develop an extendable speaker and light bar for outdoor use. In his thesis, Christian Storz developed the concept to the point where it is now entering mass production.
Around 90% of the partner companies are located in the Feintechnikschule’s immediate catchment area in southern Baden-Württemberg’s Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region. Accordingly, the thesis topics focus on the main local industries of mechanical and plant engineering, electrical engineering and automation, and medical technology, contributing significantly to innovation and efficiency improvements in these sectors. Two further examples from this year’s crop are Robin Kauth’s thesis on a universal quick tensioning device that provides a pragmatic automation solution for repair shops, and Niklas Naunapper’s thesis on a 3D-printed vertebral body that can be used for training and research purposes.
Adding sustainable value across the region
In addition to the quantifiable benefits in terms of development performance, cooperating with vocational schools also offers enterprises strategic advantages. Students’ lack of preconceived notions and capacity to challenge established processes fosters creative solutions that, in many cases, might not come about
internally in the business’s day-to-day operations. Supervision by specialist teachers is also key to success. “The Feintechnikschule acts as a driver of innovation in the heart of our region”, says the vocational school’s principal, Thomas Ettwein. Moreover, many graduates get their first job in the very same place where they wrote their thesis.
Vocational education institutions are becoming increasingly important in these times of accelerated innovation cycles and a worsening skills shortage. They provide a regionally focused link between theoretical knowledge, practical skills and economic value creation. The Feintechnikschule model is an example of sustainable regional economic development achieved through know-how, motivation and concrete results, and all without any subsidies.
The Steinbeis Transfer Center Infothek
The Steinbeis experts in Villingen-Schwenningen assist enterprises with new products, technology roadmaps and market analyses in order to ensure that their innovative ideas are commercially viable. They help them access funding programs and provide advice on the German Research Allowance Act (Forschungszulagengesetz). They also specialize in the long-term protection of innovations through intellectual property rights and patent analysis and monitoring.
Further information: www.steinbeis-infothek.de [1]
The Staatliche Feintechnikschule Villingen-Schwenningen
This vocational school offers a range of training and professional development courses, including the “Technikerschule” program, where teachers with extensive practical experience, most of whom have worked in industry and at universities, train students to qualify as “state-certified engineers”.
Further information: www.feintechnikschule.de [2]