Click here to go back to frontpage

CEZA strengthens regional networks

In terms of networking, CEZA benefited greatly from the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in 2022 and was able to strengthen its networking activities through personal contacts as well as re-establish face-to-face dialogue with many institutions and associations.

In spring 2022, CEZA joined the “food.net:z” network, an organisation that serves as a contact point for stakeholders, mainly from the food industry. The association covers the entire value chain, from the field to the supermarket. However, the members are not just made up of pure food producers, but are a colourful mix. They include international corporations, producers, wholesalers and retailers, suppliers, logistics companies and CEZA as a scientific institute. Our offers can provide valuable services, especially in the area of food fraud. The contact came about through “Kaffee Schwarz”, a CEZA partner with whom we had already worked successfully in the past on analysing the origin of coffee.

ZMRN e.V. visited CEZA. Photo: M. Pfeifer, ZMRN

Joining the “Zukunft Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar” (ZMRN) association was also an important milestone for us. This is because we also identify with the goal of making the Rhine-Neckar region known and recognised as one of the most attractive and competitive locations in Europe. As a non-university research institute, we are not only a European leader in 14C dating with our laboratories and AMS facilities.

We are also proud to have our company headquarters in the metropolitan region and to operate worldwide with our services. In October, we welcomed the new members of the ZMRN to our premises and introduced them to our diverse range of topics.

Another very important new contact for us was with the Rhine-Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which was forged at the first “food.net:z” meeting. In autumn 2022, we had the pleasure of welcoming the IHK to our premises and presenting our research facility to them, which met with great interest from our colleagues at the IHK.

CEZA presentation at a food.net:z-event. Photo: food.net:z e.V.

We are looking forward to working together and hope that the large IHK network will enable us to penetrate our own region even more. After offering our first teaching and training format for both students and people working in the cultural sciences with the Archaeometry College in 2019, we were able to use this experience to offer a one-day workshop focusing on dating methods to a larger group of archaeometry students at the University of Frankfurt in autumn, which provided participants with detailed theoretical and practical knowledge that is not offered in this form during their studies. The consistently positive response from the students has encouraged us and we hope to be able to offer this format more frequently in the future.

We also welcomed the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) to our company in May 2022. The delegation of lecturers and professors from the DHBW were able to see for themselves the opportunities offered by our scientists during an event lasting around four hours. After a tour of the institute, they discussed opportunities for co-operation. After this first step, we are already looking forward to a more in-depth exchange with the lecturers at the DHBW.

The visit from the Rotary Club Mannheimer Brücke rounded off the many networking contacts we were able to make in 2022. First and foremost, we were able to present our institute. However, we also discussed opportunities to become actively involved in the Rotary Club’s activities.