A delegation from Brightlands Chemelot Campus visits Ruhr University Bochum: Ulrike Beißert, Vanessa Vaughn, Rachel Glaves, Astrid Boeijen, Jurgen van de Rijke, Martin Paul, Martina Havenith, Günther Meschke, Susanne Schult. © RUB, Kramer

Transfer Visit by a Dutch Delegation

The Brightlands Chemelot Campus is one of the most important science and business hubs for chemistry and materials in the Netherlands. Talks have been opened with Ruhr University Bochum to discuss collaborations.

There is great demand worldwide for sustainable and CO₂-neutral materials. Ruhr University Bochum is not alone in developing solutions to produce sustainable, recyclable or bio-based materials. Our neighbors in the Limburg province, just across the German-Dutch border, are also working on innovative solutions in the fields of chemistry and materials. This means that the two locations have a lot in common.

Brightlands Campus

There are four Brightlands sites in the Netherlands: in Sittard-Geleen, Venlo, Maastricht and Heerlen. In all of them, players from industry, research institutions and government agencies are jointly dedicated to the four major issues of digitalization, health, nutrition and the circular economy.

At Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen, researchers and entrepreneurs are collaborating on high-performance materials, sustainable processes and biomedical solutions. Due to its proximity to the chemical industry in the region – Sittard-Geleen is home to one of the largest chemical parks in the Netherlands – this campus is exceptionally advanced.

The Rector of Ruhr University Bochum, Professor Martin Paul, and the Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer, Professor Günther Meschke, visited the Brightland Chemelot Campus in the Netherlands in April 2023. The return visit by Dr. Astrid Boeijen, CEO of Brightland Chemelot Campus, and Jurgen van de Rijke, CFO of Brightland Chemelot Campus, took place on January 30 and 31, 2024. The two guests from Limburg had ample opportunity to experience the start-up and research spirit of Ruhr University Bochum in discussions with representatives of the Clusters of Excellence RESOLV and CASA, the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security, the Center for Solvation Research ZEMOS and the Worldfactory, as well as during a tour of the Makerspace on the Mark 51°7 technology campus.

Following the meeting, Professor Martina Havenith, Professor of Physical Chemistry and spokesperson for the RESOLV Cluster of Excellence, reiterated: “In North Rhine-Westphalia, 90,000 jobs are directly or indirectly linked to chemistry. In the long term, the only way to prevent these jobs from being lost and to successfully transition from fossil carbon sources to sustainable raw materials is to accelerate the transfer of ideas to products – as has already been accomplished at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus.”

One click away

Brightlands Chemelot Campus

“The visit by Dr. Astrid Bojjen and Jurgen van de Rjke was an impressive demonstration of how much the innovative strength and attractiveness of a region like Limburg, which bears a strong resemblance to the Ruhr area, can be increased through close cooperation between universities, industry and policymakers within the framework of innovation and transfer centers,” concluded Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer Günther Meschke after the visit. “There are many complementary research fields and areas of expertise between Ruhr University Bochum and the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. It would therefore make sense to bring our innovation ecosystems together in order to boost innovation in both regions,” summarized Rector Martin Paul.