Institute for Life Science Technologies (ILT.NRW)

The Institute for Life Science Technologies (ILT.NRW) at the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, one of the strongest universities of applied sciences in the area of research in Germany, was founded in 2011 as the Institute for Food Technology to consolidate the Food Quality and Safety Competence Platform. In the first ten years of its existence, the institute developed its profile particularly along the interdisciplinary interfaces to biotechnology, health technologies, bio-refinery and bioenergy processes, as well as digitalization and automation. Since 2021, the institute has been using the new name Institute for Life Science Technologies to represent this interdisciplinary focus adequately. However, food technology continues to be a central object of research interest for the institute. With over 40 employees and eight professorships, the institute works on national and international research projects as well as numerous industrial projects related to food quality and processing. In 2014, the institute was included in the Research Map of Universities of Applied Sciences for profile-building research by German Rectors' Conference. The institute's work focuses on digitalization in food technology (Industry 4.0, machine learning), sustainable food technology, and innovative processes and products. In 2017, the institute founded the initiative smartFoodTechnologyOWL together with research and corporate partners and opened the Future Food Factory OWL on May 04, 2023 at the Innovation Campus Lemgo.