Overall, the evaluation draws a positive interim conclusion regarding the second funding period, which runs until the end of 2027: The programme largely achieves its key objectives of professionalising and strategically anchoring knowledge transfer at the funded higher education institutions, alongside an emerging opening of innovation processes and collaborations with regional stakeholders.

Within the scope of the so-called "funding portfolio analysis", the prominent standing of the programme within the funding landscape is reaffirmed: "Innovative Hochschule" (IHS) occupies a distinct unique position among the identified benchmark programmes at federal, state, and EU levels. Furthermore, the funded institutions assess that they would not have been able to realise these structural developments without this funding.

The evaluation continues to focus on identifying success factors and barriers to achieving objectives and ensuring long-term sustainability in line with the funding scheme, the structural changes and strategic impacts at the funded higher education institutions, the development of collaboration with partners, as well as the added value for institutions, partners, and regions. On this basis, recommendations for action are derived for future transfer funding. The analysis of the cost-effectiveness of measures and implementation, along with a detailed presentation of the methodology, rounds off the report.