Companies wanted for Münsterland technology tandems

Exchange between business and science enters fourth round

Search: Companies. Offer: Exciting exchange and know-how from science. The Münsterland Technology Tandems are entering their fourth round and offer regional companies the chance for innovative cooperation with science actors. Companies can still register their interest in a tandem with a person from Münsterland's university landscape until 30 September.

The technology tandems were set up within the Enabling Networks Münsterland project and promote knowledge transfer between business and higher education institutions in Münsterland. In these tandems, entrepreneurs meet science actors so that, in the best case, lasting contacts and joint projects between companies and research institutions are established. Nine technology tandems have already been established in Münsterland. Now more companies have the chance to participate in the initiative. From now on, they can express their interest to the respective contact person at the business development agencies. They will then search for a suitable exchange partner.

One example of successful cooperation is the collaboration between Velo de Ville from Altenberge and Münster University of Applied Sciences, which came about through your technology tandem. As a product designer, Minh Pham studied the different user groups of cargo bikes as part of his bachelor's thesis at the FH and developed a concept for a cargo bike. This resulted in the first electric cargo bike in cooperation with the company Velo de Ville: the "FR8". "We want to meet the needs of the different target groups, which is why we decided on a modular principle, among other things, where users can choose between a box with or without a lid, a bench seat for the children or even a loading area with tension straps," says Pham. And he says "we", because he is now also working as a student trainee at Velo de Ville during his master's degree and continues to look after the cargo bike as a product designer. He presented the "FR8" at the international Eurobike trade fair this year.

"The economic development agencies from the districts and the city of Münster are looking forward to forming more technology tandems. After all, cooperation between companies and research institutions often results in exciting projects and innovative ideas," says Bernd Büdding, project manager of Enabling Networks Münsterland at Münsterland e.V. "Companies from all sectors and with a wide range of concerns about technology are welcome."

These are the contact persons from the districts as well as the city of Münster:

Coesfeld district: wfc, Sally Friedrich, 02594 7824026, sally.friedrich@wfc-kreis-coesfeld.de

Borken district: WFG, Kathrin Bonhoff, 02561 9799942, Bonhoff@wfg-borken.de

Steinfurt district: WESt, Christian Holterhues, 02551 692703, christian.holterhues@westmbh.de

District of Warendorf: gfw, Kai Janisch, 02521 850515, janisch@gfw-waf.de

City of Münster: Technologieförderung Münster, Dr. Christian Junker, 0251 9801116, junker@technologiefoerderung-muenster.de

The technology tandems are a component of technology scouting within the Enabling Networks Münsterland project. In this way, the project supports actors from business and science in the region to work together and thus develop new technologies and drive innovations forward. In addition to the technology tandems, further measures are implemented within the technology scouting. Enabling Networks technology scouts, for example, scan the Münsterland region for technological competence carriers and make their findings public in various ways. This creates new networks in the region, which at best lead to new innovations.

Further information at www.muensterland.com/technologietandems

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".