Concentrated innovation competence in Münsterland: Trained innovation coaches strengthen the innovative capacity of companies in the region

NRW.Innovationspartner joint project is pleased about successful training graduation

Strengthening the innovative capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Münsterland region is the focus of the NRW.Innovationspartner joint project based at Münsterland e.V.. One of the main tasks is to qualify advisors in the region so that they can support companies in the Münsterland region even more competently in innovation projects. In addition to training and education on current innovation and digitalisation topics, an important milestone in 2019 and 2020 was the training to become an Innovation Coach. Seven players from the Münsterland region have now successfully completed this training.

"The Innovation Coaches contribute to building a sustainable and vibrant innovation culture in Münsterland. They have acquired practice-oriented methods and work formats with which they can also impart even more competences in the field of innovation to other people and companies," emphasises Pia Tovar, project coordinator of NRW.Innovationspartner in Münsterland.

The training to become an Innovation Coach took place in cooperation with the Verrocchio Institute for Innovation Competence. This institute trains people worldwide in the topics of innovation, transformation and coaching. The training to become an Innovation Coach imparts the necessary innovation know-how in three modules and consolidates it in a twelve-month practical phase. In this way, the partners from the Münsterland network received many valuable impulses for consulting - from idea generation and evaluation to the moderation of creative workshops and innovation projects.

The project topics in the practical phase were chosen by the participants themselves. They reflect the diverse fields of activity of regional innovation promotion, as the following list shows:

• Christian Holterhues from Wirtschaftsförderung für den Kreis Coesfeld GmbH developed and tested a concept for the implementation of remote workshops.
• Stephanie Koch and Stefan Adam from Münster University of Applied Sciences devoted themselves to the development of innovation projects with the research institutes of Münster University of Applied Sciences and companies.
• Sonja Raiber from Münsterland e.V. showed in her project how the Event Canvas can be used to design innovative event formats that have real benefits for the participants.
• Dr. Markus Könning from Wirtschaftsförderung für den Kreis Borken GmbH demonstrates with his project result how innovative capacity in companies can be measured and changed.
• Bernd Büdding from Münsterland e.V. used the Design Thinking method to develop innovative technology scouting offers for companies in Münsterland.
• Pia Tovar from Münsterland e.V. shows in her practical project how Design Thinking and other innovative methods can be used in communication practice.

Further information, contact details and the final presentations of the Innovation Coaches from Münsterland are available at muensterland.com/nrw-innovationspartner and from Pia Tovar, tovar@muensterland.com, 02571 949338.

More about NRW.Innovationspartner

The NWR.Innovationspartner project was launched in February 2017 and aims to strengthen the innovative capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Münsterland. To ensure this, Münsterland e.V., together with its project partners, supports institutional innovation and digitalisation consulting in Münsterland. The project's network partners include the district economic development agencies, the Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts, TAFH Münster as the central innovation promotion and project development company of Münster University of Applied Sciences, and Technologieförderung Münster. Regional innovation promotion within the project is also supported by municipal economic development agencies, the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, the North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Digital Hub münster.LAND and the Münster Chamber of Agriculture.

NRW.Innovationspartner im Münsterland is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and supported by a back office located at NRW.BANK.