Business, science and networks design the future of Münsterland in think tanks

"Enabling Networks Münsterland" promotes strategic further development of the region

Innovations make a region fit for the future - and often arise precisely where many bright minds from different fields come together. This is precisely the goal of the regional think tanks that will be created in spring 2020 within the Enabling Networks Münsterland project led by Münsterland e.V.. Where do the special opportunities and innovative competences of the Münsterland lie? How can the region position itself even better? Representatives from companies, research and regional networks are looking for answers to these and other questions in the think tanks.

"Only if we also orient ourselves to the needs of regional companies will we succeed in positioning Münsterland well for the future. That's why it's important to get entrepreneurs and other technical experts around the table and to involve them in regional decision-making processes," emphasises Bernd Büdding, project manager of Enabling Networks Münsterland. "Through the exchange in the think tanks, we hope to come up with exciting ideas with which we can further develop the region's innovation competences." These can be new courses of study, new networks, new cooperation projects or even new research infrastructures.

The five Münsterland think tanks will be formed on the following main topics:

• Digital Münsterland - application and development of AI technologies.
• The path to networked production
• On the way to a circular economy
• Environmentally neutral materials of the future
• Staying healthy - for life

The basis for this is formed by the five innovation competence fields of the Münsterland: Digital Solutions, Life Sciences, Engineering Pro, Materials and Surfaces and Sustainable Eco. Since the Münsterland is particularly fit in these areas, the potential for innovation is especially high here.

In the think tank on the topic of "Staying healthy - for life", for example, "personalised medicine" is to play a major role. "Many people don't know that we have internationally renowned companies in bioanalytics and medical technology here in Münsterland. We want to use the think tank to network with them and discuss which topics we want to tackle together in the region and how," explains Dr Kathleen Spring from the Gesellschaft für Bioanalytik Münster e.V. (Society for Bioanalytics Münster), who works in the project as a technology scout for the life science sector. "From our point of view, the field of action 'Personalised Prevention/Personalised Medicine' is a central future topic in which we can become pioneers." The aim here is to ensure that preventive healthcare is geared to the needs of each individual - and that, in the best case, people do not get sick in the first place.

The think tanks are to meet twice a year until 2022 and develop strategies for the future in workshops. Excursions to places where this future can already be experienced are also planned. These inspirations will then flow back into the region and be presented at events.

For more information, contact Bernd Büdding, buedding@muensterland.com or call 02571 949327.

More about Enabling Networks Münsterland

The Enabling Networks project is funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Economics of North Rhine-Westphalia within the framework of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW". 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 second component, in addition to the think tanks, is technology scouting. There will be five technology scouts who will support companies in the development of new innovations.
The project network 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 promote innovations in their sectors.