Competence for SMEs

Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL

The Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL addressed the topics of digitization and networking specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Metropole Ruhr and Ostwestfalen-Lippe and offers concrete and free services for joint implementation. The project run from 2021 to 2024. Together with the experts of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum, medium-sized companies could tackle the digitization of their products, production and their entire value creation processes and opened up new business areas of digital transformation.

The Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL enabled companies to enter at any stage of the digital transformation. It offered information events, opened up access to demo centers in research and industry, and createed further training opportunities for dealing with new technologies or methods. It also supported companies in creating their own digital transformation strategy and accompanied them in specific projects.

The strength of the Mittelstand Digital Zentrum was its setup in both regions. It combined the knowledge and experience of technology experts from strong business and research locations in NRW and made it available locally through our regional contacts.

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These are:

  • In the Metropole Ruhr, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML and the EffizienzClusterLogistikRuhr are experts in intelligent logistics and value networks. The office of “Digital in NRW” is also located here.
  • In the Rhineland, the Machine Tool Laboratory WZL and the Research Institute for Rationalization FIR at RWTH Aachen University are working on intelligent production technology.
  • In OstWestfalenLippe, universities and research institutions in the leading-edge cluster it’s OWL provide support in the areas of intelligent automation and smart products and production systems.

The Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center Dortmund is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

Our services for the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL

  • Operation of the office
  • Network management
  • Marketing and communication
  • Creation of innovative event concepts
  • Conception of cross-company exchange of experiences
  • Networking events tailored to target groups
  • Provision of information in print and digital media
  • Initiation and development of cross-company research and innovation projects through funding advice, consortium formation and process support
  • Establishment and maintenance of networks for business, research and multipliers