For decades, East Westphalia-Lippe has also been one of Germany's leading food-producing regions. Alongside mechanical engineering, furniture manufacturing and electrical engineering, the food industry is one of the mainstays of the regional economy. Numerous large companies, a strong SME sector and a wide range of food products characterise the region. To this day, the Lippe Pickert symbolises this close connection between tradition, identification with one's homeland, nutrition and regional raw materials.
Against this backdrop, the food technology degree programme was established in Lemgo to meet the demand for skilled workers in this already established industry. Today, companies benefit from direct access to modern research facilities, digitalisation solutions and a broad scientific network. Students find optimal conditions for shaping the food world of tomorrow.
Mandy Isabel I. goes one step further. As a trained food technologist, she succeeds in highlighting the important connection to food research and sustainability. This inspired Lemgo's mayor Markus Baier and Professor Jan Schneider, head of the Future Food Factory at the TH, who toasted this connection with the Pickert Princess on Friday, 13 February with a Pickert liqueur.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Health brings together all areas of life sciences: from smart farming and food technology to biotechnology. Along the entire value chain, ‘from field to plate,’ the university works with partners from the region to develop sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the environment.
A key driver of this success is the strong research at TH OWL. The Future Food Factory OWL offers a unique infrastructure in Germany, where students and researchers work on plant-based alternatives, sustainable processes, digital processes and sensory tests.
Lemgo's expertise is particularly evident in the Food Technology degree programme, which focuses on baked goods and confectionery, beverages and protein-based foods. Here, students not only learn the theoretical basics, but also develop new recipes and product ideas using modern technology. Innovation and creativity are at the heart of this programme.
With what Mandy Isabel learned during her bachelor's degree with a focus on beverage technology and her subsequent master's degree in Lemgo, she was ideally prepared to set an accent on the connection between tradition and the future as Pickert Princess. Under the motto ‘Reinventing the tried and tested’, the development of a Pickert liqueur was an obvious choice for the expert: ‘Pickert liqueur is an upcycled product in the spirit of sustainability.’ It is made by soaking leftover Pickert from the weekly market in alcohol. ‘Of course, you learn about the maceration process during your studies – and not just in theory.’
The joint toast symbolically demonstrated how science, the city and the regional food industry come together in Lemgo. As a trained food technologist, the Pickert Princess succeeds in highlighting the important connection between food research and sustainability.