The institute was formally founded in January 2011. At that time, six research-oriented professors joined forces with their teams to pool the expertise of Lemgo's Food Technology department and raise its profile nationwide. The founding principles—product quality, sustainability, resource efficiency, and application-oriented research with companies—still form the foundation of the institute's work today.
"The vision was clear from the outset: we wanted to conduct research that would have a direct impact in practice, on companies and on people," says institute director Professor Jan Schneider, who was also involved in founding the institute.
The year 2017 marked a decisive turning point with the establishment of the smartFoodTechnologyOWL research partnership. In close cooperation with the Institute Industrial IT (inIT) and industry partners, numerous research projects were carried out that significantly advanced the digitalization of food production.
New chapter: Future Food Factory OWL (OWL)
Another strategic milestone was reached in 2021 and on the occasion of its tenth anniversary with the renaming of the institute to Institute for Life Science Technologies. This reflected the institute's opening up to biotechnological and technological topics, which was also reflected in the recruitment of new experts to the institute.
With its move to the Future Food Factory OWL in 2023, ILT.NRW not only gained a new home, but also an infrastructure that is unique in Europe. This spatial change went hand in hand with a strategic realignment and cemented its position as a leading center for applied Life Science Technologies.
Anniversary campaign: #15Years15Facts
A research institute celebrates its birthday in a manner befitting its status with knowledge transfer. Under the motto #15Years15Facts, ILT.NRW will be presenting exciting insights into its history and current projects in the coming weeks and months. Milestones, scientific breakthroughs, and the people behind the research will be presented on the institute's website and social media channels.
Behind the scientific "facade" of ILT.NRW is, above all, a dedicated team, as the deputy director of the institute, Professor Dr. Miriam Pein-Hackelbusch, notes: "The institute thrives thanks to every single person who gets involved in one of the diverse projects and thus makes their contribution to various socially relevant topics."