Smart Solution Labs

In the
Smart Solution Labs, students from different disciplines and universities work
together in an 8-week R&D sprint on real current tasks from companies in
the region and develop innovative inspirations and solutions. Possible tasks
are, for example, the optimisation of newly introduced processes, bionic
material savings or the further use of waste products in the sense of the
circular economy. A short processing time of 8 weeks is deliberately chosen for
the R&D sprint in order to give the companies a short but intensive
external impulse. Students are given the opportunity to generate added value
for the companies and at the same time gain valuable practical experience
within an interdisciplinary and international team. In addition, they gain
insights into the innovative work of companies in the region, which should
encourage them to consider this border region as a future labour market.
Together
with the Saxion Hogeschool, FH Münster and the Westfälische Hochschule, the
Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft für den Kreis Borken (WFG) and the Verenigde
Maakindustrie Oost (VMO) want to open the doors to cross-border knowledge
transfer in the EUREGIO today. Students and companies are given the opportunity
to look beyond their own horizons. They learn more about how innovations are
developed in the respective neighbouring country and at the same time lose
their fear of this very labour market. In addition, small and medium-sized
companies that do not have sufficient resources of their own for R&D
projects receive valuable support in realising their projects.
By summer
2024, 24 students and 6 companies had already actively participated in SSL. The
tasks demonstrate the wide range of SSL, e.g. there were market expansion
strategies, technical challenges such as optimising the calibration of an
excavator bucket scale and various possible applications with the aim of
increasing automation. Sustainability also plays a major role.
Further
Smart Labs will follow from autumn 2024.