NRW.innovativ Summit: Transfer in TECH.LAND: Turning boundaries into opportunities
On February 19, 2025, this year's NRW.innovativ Summit took place with the kind support of the North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Nord Westfalen). The event provided a forum for over 100 participants from business, science, politics, and administration to learn about the TECH.LAND initiative. TECH.LAND consolidates the Dutch and German innovation and research activities of the region and presents them under a single brand. "The NRW.innovativ Summit impressively demonstrates the innovative strength of the German-Dutch border region," concluded State Secretary Silke Krebs from the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Economic Affairs following the conference at the IHK Nord Westfalen training center.
“Our region demonstrates that close cooperation and cross-border partnerships foster innovations that have an impact far beyond our borders,” emphasized Melanie Baum, entrepreneur and Vice President of the North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The German-Dutch collaboration under the umbrella of TECH.LAND is a locational advantage that offers companies on both sides of the border a significantly broader range of opportunities to innovate. “We must capitalize on this,” she urged. At a time when international cooperation is becoming more challenging, it is all the more important to strengthen binational partnerships and fully exploit their potential for mutual benefit.
This is precisely the goal of the TECH.LAND initiative, which, as a "transnational technology ecosystem," supports German and Dutch companies in their innovation projects. The range of expertise extends from the battery and hydrogen industries to robotics, medical technology, and the circular economy. Hans Brouwers (Program Manager) and Melina Freundenthal (Head of Program Management Office) explained the specifics of this support. TECH.LAND promotes access to EU funding, international specialists and startups, as well as the development of new German-Dutch business and scientific contacts. "Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular benefit from this, as cross-border cooperation enables them to accelerate innovation and increase their competitiveness," emphasized Brouwers.
During the NRW.innovativ Summit, numerous best-practice examples illustrated how knowledge transfer across state borders can succeed and what advantages it offers the participating stakeholders. For instance, the cooperation between the waste management company Twence BV from the Netherlands and the Münster waste management company was presented in detail.
A key focus was on innovations in the battery and circular economy sectors. Silke Krebs, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, emphasized the importance of the circular economy: “The future lies in sustainable economic cycles. The North Westphalia region can become a role model for many others through innovative approaches and cross-border cooperation.” In the subsequent panel discussion, representatives from academia, city administration, and politics discussed effective measures for knowledge and technology transfer and shared experiences from different perspectives. Professor Dr. Johannes Wessels, Rector of the University of Münster, emphasized that the collaborations within TECH.LAND benefit from the complementary activities of various stakeholders and the consolidation of the innovation ecosystem. Dorothee Lauter from the Bottrop Economic Development Agency also made it clear that municipalities, functionally speaking, can act as small-scale real-world laboratories, enabling innovation by facilitating access to funding programs, partner networks, and citizen participation.
A project marketplace with exhibitors from the region also offered an opportunity to exchange ideas on specific project initiatives.
NRW.innovativ would like to sincerely thank the IHK Nord Westfalen for the successful setting of the event and all contributing speakers who shared interesting insights.
Source: IHK North Westphalia, NRW.innovativ; Images: ©Heiner Witte/IHK North Westphalia
