TH OWL President Professor Dr. Jürgen Krahl and Project Director Professor Dr. Thomas Schulte accepted the certificate last Friday, November 8. It was presented by Dr. Sven Halldorn, Head of the Policy Affairs Division at the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV), in the presence of Lippe’s Members of the Bundestag Kerstin Vieregge (CDU), Robin Wagener (Alliance 90/The Greens), and Christian Sauter (FDP).
A number of other political figures had sent last-minute apologies due to events in Berlin’s political circles, so that moderator Brigitte Büscher welcomed a good 35 people.
The Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) is funding the innovative project with 18 million euros to establish a modern research center for mobility and integrated energy systems in rural areas. The center is intended to serve as a central innovation hub to develop sustainable mobility solutions and promote the efficient integration of energy and mobility systems.
To illustrate what TH OWL’s approaches might look like, moderator Büscher began by showing the guests from the ministries two short films: “Electric Car Express” by KreativInstitut.OWL in Detmold and a new visualization of the MONOCAB campus train.
Dr. Halldorn congratulated TH OWL President Krahl and emphasized: “With the UrbanLand Mobility Center, we are creating a forward-looking platform for the research and development of modern mobility concepts. Here on this campus, science, society, and decision-makers work hand in hand on multimodal mobility solutions and test, for example, the use of alternative drive systems and digital technologies to make mobility more efficient, connected, and climate-neutral. This project not only strengthens the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region but also enriches the mobility sector nationwide by setting new standards for the mobility of the future.”
Professor Krahl: “The UrbanLand Mobility Center is a milestone and a logical further development of TH OWL’s expertise at the intersection of mobility, energy, and sustainability research. We are grateful to the Bundestag for its trust and will integrate the center into teaching and research for the benefit of the economy and society. It will enrich our academic offerings and serve as a nucleus for developing Ostwestfalen-Lippe into a model region for post-fossil mobility.”
The university had incorporated the ceremonial presentation of the funding certificate into the “Expert Discussion on Energy and Mobility in Rural Areas.” Experts presented additional projects in engaging keynote talks that addressed topics such as the mobility concept of the Innovation Campus Lemgo, direct current, hydrogen, and even an app to combat range anxiety in electric vehicles.
In a subsequent plenary debate that afternoon, representatives from academia and industry, as well as from associations and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, discussed various research questions regarding energy and mobility in rural areas together with the management of the Union for Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP). UFOP had made it possible to host the event at the House of Agriculture and Food in Berlin Mitte.
The UrbanLand Mobility Center project is funded with 18 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport.