With the "Unternehmen Region" (Enterprise Region) program family, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supported regional innovation alliances between companies, universities, research institutions, and intermediaries in eastern Germany from 1999 to 2022. The objective of the funding was to establish strategic cooperation between actors from science and industry in order to counteract the initial structural disadvantages of the East German innovation system (including the absence of large research-intensive enterprises and the lack of established forms of cooperation between SMEs and research institutions).

The overarching goal of the evaluation was to analyze the effects of the "Unternehmen Region" program family on strengthening the innovation system in eastern Germany. The following guiding questions were examined:

• Were technological, scientific, and economic capabilities in East German regions developed and expanded, thereby creating internationally competitive research and innovation centers?
• Was the innovative capacity of companies and research institutions sustainably improved, and were innovation networks in eastern Germany strengthened?
• Was the commercialization and market orientation of scientific and economic research enhanced, thereby supporting the faster and more successful transfer of ideas into value creation?
• Was it possible to attract or retain top young researchers and skilled professionals for science and industry in eastern Germany?
• Were successful start-ups of innovative companies in eastern Germany promoted?
• Did the support for internationally competitive innovations and new value chains contribute to economic growth and employment in eastern Germany?