Office meets lecture hall: Münsterland technology tandems promote knowledge transfer

Enabling Networks Münsterland project accompanies exchange between business and science

A relaxed atmosphere, exclusive knowledge exchange, the chance to work on joint projects: The technology tandems within the Enabling Networks Münsterland project have started and promote the transfer of knowledge between business and higher education institutions in Münsterland. The special feature: In the tandems, entrepreneurs from the region meet science actors from Münsterland's higher education landscape. In the best case scenario, the exchange will lead to lasting contacts and joint projects between companies and research institutions.

"The technology tandems are a building block of technology scouting within our Enabling Networks Münsterland project," emphasises Bernd Büdding, project manager at Münsterland e.V. "In this way we support actors from business and science in the region to work together and thus possibly develop new technologies, drive innovations and support each other."

Christian Holterhues from wfc Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Coesfeld GmbH coordinates the tandems within the project and sees great potential in the exchange on new technologies between small and medium-sized enterprises and universities: "The added values for both sides are manifold," he says. "Companies secure contacts, know-how from science and make themselves known in the region. Scientific institutions, in turn, expand their network into the regional economy, initiate possible cooperations and promote the exchange of students and skilled workers."

The first technology tandems in Münsterland include:

• HMT GmbH from Bocholt and Münster University of Applied Sciences: they talked about new fields of application for HMT GmbH's competences and agreed, among other things, to hold a joint workshop.
• The company Velo de Ville from Altenberge and the FH Münster are forming a tandem on the topic of "Future forms of mobility". They are now working cooperatively to develop new concepts for cargo bikes.
• Dr. Marc Bücker from Quinting Zementol GmbH in Ascheberg and Prof. Dietmar Mähner from Münster UAS exchanged ideas on the topic of "Water-impermeable concrete structures and the renovation of concrete floor slabs in accordance with the Water Resources Act". The next step now includes a visit by Marc Bücker to the laboratories of Münster UAS.
• Ventilatorenfabrik Oelde GmbH spoke with stakeholders from the Westphalian University on the topic of additive manufacturing. The tandem partners are now jointly sounding out the extent to which this can be used in the production of dynamic fan impellers.

In addition to the technology tandems, further measures are planned within the technology scouting. For example, Enabling Networks technology scouts are to scan the Münsterland region for technological competence carriers and make their findings public in various ways. This will create new networks in the region, which in the best case will lead to new innovations.
Further information is available at www.muensterland.com/enabling and from Bernd Büdding, buedding@muensterland.com, 02571 949327.

More about Enabling Networks Münsterland

As a regional network initiative and successor project to Enabling Innovation Münsterland, Enabling Networks Münsterland has been supporting companies and universities in Münsterland to develop innovations, implement them and find the right partners for the project since the project launch in September 2019. The project consists of two packages of measures: The Münsterland think tanks and technology scouting. The five think tanks bring together representatives from companies, research and regional networks to develop ideas, initiatives and future models for specific topics. The second component is technology scouting. This creates special technology knowledge with which companies, research institutions and competence centres can be even better networked.

The project network with Münsterland e.V. as lead partner consists of the business development agencies of the Münsterland districts and the Münster Technology Promotion Agency as well as the transfer offices of the regional universities and five specialised institutions that drive innovation in their sectors. The project is funded by the European Union and the NRW Ministry of Economics as part of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW".