Almost 200 specialists and executives from companies in the Lippe region, professors from TH OWL, and representatives from politics and administration enjoyed an entertaining panel discussion and two exciting keynote speeches.
Afterwards, two new scientists from the university presented their offerings to the business community. For the fourth time, the TH OWL Transfer Prize was awarded at the museum tour: Professor Dr. Jürgen Jasperneite was honored for his commitment to the development of TH OWL and the Innovation Campus Lemgo. The event was hosted by the Lippe Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Lippe), the district of Lippe, and the university.
“How can change be shaped in challenging times?” This question was the focus of the panel discussion moderated by Julia Wunderlich (FTZ, Transfer and Research Communication). She discussed current and future developments and research activities, as well as necessary political and entrepreneurial measures and existing risks for the region, with TH-OWL President Professor Dr. Jürgen Krahl, District Administrator Dr. Axel Lehmann, and Volker Steinbach, President of the Lippe Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Dr. Lehmann: "I am convinced that we can successfully shape change in the future if the various partners from business, science, politics, and administration work even more closely together and advance projects jointly. Just one example of where we have already succeeded in doing this is InnovationSPIN in Lemgo—a forward-looking place where knowledge transfer is lived and breathed. But also the results of the Future Dialogues I initiated, such as the job exchange for seniors to raise the ‘silent reserve’ on the labor market, the Welcome Center currently being set up to help immigrants settle in Lippe and find work in cooperation with many partners and institutions, and the Climate Experience World in Oerlinghausen are, in my opinion, examples of such successful projects – despite all the challenges we currently face in today's tense global environment."
IHK President Steinbach emphasized: “In a time of geopolitical tensions, economic challenges, and social uncertainties, the economy is facing enormous challenges.” He therefore called for a genuine economic policy reset that reduces the burden on companies and rewards entrepreneurial commitment and innovative spirit. “Companies, in turn, should focus even more intensively on the opportunities for transferring knowledge to the economy and benefit from the strength of the regional research landscape,” recommended Steinbach. This is because competition is becoming increasingly fierce, especially at the international level.
Professor Krahl is certain that everyone involved benefited from jointly addressing the challenges. “As a university, we have a responsibility to help shape the regional innovation system. Only through intensive cooperation with external partners can we continuously develop our teaching and research,” said the university president.
Professor Jürgen Krahl, Dr. Axel Lehmann, and Volker Steinbach agreed that research and innovation will become even more important in the future. The region has an excellent research infrastructure. In order for this competitive advantage to reach its full potential, the transfer of knowledge and new technologies to the economy must be promoted even more strongly. All three institutions intend to work together in a targeted manner to achieve this goal.
Afterwards, Professor Josef Löffl from the Institute for Science Dialogue explained to the guests why the conqueror Hannibal did not choose to take the shortcut by ship on his historic crusade, and what insights can be derived from this today for the transfer of knowledge to the economy.
Professor Jasperneite, who specializes in computer networks at TH OWL and heads the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Automation (IOSB-INA), joined Gunnar Lessmann, Master Specialist Profinet and TSN at Phoenix Contact, to present how the “Tiger Chip,” an innovation from Lippe, is taking the world by storm.
Afterward, Professor Dr. Christiane Lübke, who specializes in “Environment and Society,” and Professor Dr. Muhamed Kudic, who specializes in “Intrapreneurship and Digital Transformation,” provided insights into their main areas of research.
Finally, the TH OWL Transfer Prize was awarded for the fourth time. Professor Jasperneite was honored for his many years of wide-ranging commitment to TH OWL and the Innovation Campus Lemgo. “The continuity with which he has brought about technological, social, and structural developments in research, teaching, and transfer is impressive,” emphasized Professor Dr. Stefan Witte, Vice President for Research and Transfer, in his laudatory speech.
As a professor at TH OWL and director of Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, Jasperneite was particularly committed to cooperation and professional exchange with business, politics, and society. With IOSB-INA, he succeeded in initiating the first Fraunhofer facility at a university of applied sciences in Germany. Starting with a small group, more than 100 people now work here on industry-related research projects and have shaped the Lemgo campus, Professor Witte continues. Professor Jasperneite also co-founded the Institute for Industrial Information Technology at the TH, the Innovation Campus Lemgo, the Centrum Industrial IT (CIIT), and Smart Factory OWL.