“The funding makes it possible that OWL University will provide important innovation impulses for the region. Especially the entrepreneurial middle class will benefit from the innovations”, so Professor Stefan Witte, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer of OWL University. “The jury valued our concept as exactly correct – we are pleased that our concept will be funded. There was a lot of competition, but we do have a first-class team”, says Witte and emphasizes the successful interdisciplinary cooperation at OWL University. OWL University demonstrates once again that it is one of the leading research Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany and has particular expertise in the fields of Industry 4.0 and Food Technology. Both disciplines are brought together now with “Smart Food Technology OWL”. Project partners from industry and society as well as the region will benefit from the collaboration. “A lot of SMEs do not have sufficient research capabilities to exploit their full innovation potential”, says Susanne Kunschert, jury chairman and managing associate of Pilz GmbH. “Companies are gaining excess to latest technologies and excellent practice-oriented professionals.” Establishing a sustainable collaboration is planned that provides industry, associations and politics with latest technical solutions and product innovations for the whole food-life cycle. It is also planned to stabilize the strategic cooperation with further Science-to-Business structures at Innovation Campus Lemgo. “Universities of Applied Sciences are important driving forces for the economic development of a region”, so Federal Research Minister Prof. Johanna Wanka. “FH-Impuls supports Universities of Applied Sciences that are strong in research to exploit their maximum innovation potential.”
Smart Food Technology OWL
Basis of the concept are the increasing requirements of the food sector for quality, safety, naturalness and taste – but also for meeting social standards and sustainability issues. These standards are only reachable by using latest production methods and automation solutions for Industry 4.0 and digitalization of production. Research activities of Institute Industrial IT (inIT) and Institute for Lebensmitteltechnologie.NRW (ILT.NRW) shall be bundled “Together we do have the chance to increase energy and resource efficiency, to optimize raw materials utilization and meeting consumer requirements for individualization of foodstuff”, so Witte.
FH-Impuls
On the recommendation of Federal Research Minister Prof. Johanna Wanka an appointed independent panel selected from more than 80 applications 20 Universities of Applied Sciences. These were requested to submit a concept. On the basis of these concepts and a presentation 10 winners were selected and proposed to the BMBF in the beginning of July. About 100 million Euros were provided for “FH-Impuls” for a funding period of up to eight years.