Regionaldirektor Garrelt Duin, ZESS-Direktor Bernd Kuhlenkötter, Rektor Martin Paul, Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz und Oberbürgermeister Thomas Eiskirch (von links) folgen im Forschungsbau ZESS der Ruhr-Universität Bochum einer Robotik-Demonstration.

Regional Director Garrelt Duin, ZESS Director Professor Bernd Kuhlenkötter, Rector Martin Paul, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lord Mayor Thomas Eiskirch (from left to right) watch a robotics demonstration in the ZESS research building at Ruhr University Bochum.

Prof. Dr. Martin Mönnigmann (rechts) zeigt dem Regionaldirektor und dem Bundeskanzler eine Drohne. Links neben Olaf Scholz im Bild zu sehen ist Dr. Frank Dudda, Vorsitzender der Verbandsversammlung des RVR.

Professor Martin Mönnigmann (right) demonstrates a drone to the Regional Director and the German Chancellor. To the left of Olaf Scholz in the picture is Dr. Frank Dudda, Chairman of the Ruhr Regional Association RVR.

Prof. Dr. Uta Wilkens erläutert die Forschung an menschzentrierten KI-Lösungen für die Arbeitswelt der Zukunft. Sie leitet das Kompetenzzentrum HUMAINE der Metropole Ruhr.

Professor Uta Wilkens explains research into human-centric AI solutions for the working world of the future. She heads the HUMAINE competence center of the Ruhr metropolis.

Professor Anette Kluge (left) and her team focus on the work and business psychology aspects of the modern working world.

Im Makerspace des WSC im O-Werk diskutierte Bundeskanzler Scholz mit Expertinnen und Experten aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Politik über Transformation und ihre Rahmenbedingungen.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz discusses transformation and its frameworks with experts from industry, science and politics in the WSC Makerspace at O-Werk.

Im Makerspace der Ruhr-Universität Bochum spricht der Bundeskanzler mit Christian Zenger (links), Gründer des erfolgreichen IT-Sicherheitsunternehmens PHYSEC.

In the Makerspace at Ruhr University Bochum, the German Chancellor talks to Christian Zenger (on the left), founder of the successful IT security company PHYSEC.

Im Makerspace wird der hochrangige Gast begrüßt von Forschungsprorektor Prof. Dr. Günther Meschke (Dritter von links) und Marc Seelbach, geschäftsführender Direktor der WORLDFACTORY (links).

The high-profile guest is welcomed to the Makerspace by Vice-Rector for Research Professor Günther Meschke (third from the left) and Marc Seelbach, Managing Director of WORLDFACTORY (on the left).

Transformation can be experienced here: the converted O-Werk stands for the change from industry to a knowledge-based start-up culture.

The ZESS research building on the Mark 51°7 site stands for the science and technology quarter there. Another RUB research building is currently under construction right next door.

Auch beim Rundgang durch den Forschungsbau ZESS kommt der Bundeskanzler mit jungen Gründern ins Gespräch, hier mit dem Deep-Tech-Start-up GEMESYS.

On his tour of the ZESS research building, the Chancellor meets young start-up entrepreneurs; here, from the deep-tech start-up GEMESYS.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Ostendorf (rechts) erläutert an einer der Stationen die Forschungsarbeiten zum Thema additive Fertigung.

Professor Andreas Ostendorf (on the right) explains the research work on additive manufacturing at one of the stations.

Trotz des straffen Programms im Ruhrgebiet nimmt der Bundeskanzler sich die Zeit für das Gespräch mit den Bochumer Forschungsteams – hier an der Station mit den robotergestützten Kaltgasspritzen.

Despite the tight schedule in the Ruhr region, the Federal Chancellor takes the time to talk to the Bochum research teams – here at the station with the robot-assisted cold gas sprayers.

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A Visit from German Chancellor Scholz A Transformative Experience

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz got a real sense of the innovative power of science in the ZESS research building and the Makerspace at Ruhr University Bochum.

His visit to the Ruhr region on August 26, 2024 also included a tour of two facilities at Ruhr University Bochum. Stops on Mark 51°7 was the research building ZESS (Research Centre for the Engineering of Smart Product Service Systems) and the Makerspace of the Worldfactory Start-up Center (WSC) in the O-Werk; in addition, the Volkswagen Infotainment development center was also on the agenda.

“The Mark 51°7 industry, technology and knowledge campus shows how economic, ecological and social change can be successfully achieved through an integrated concept. The innovative strength of the local research institutions and companies brings real added value for Bochum and the entire Ruhr region,” comments Olaf Scholz.

This is how regional transformation works.

—
Rector Martin Paul

“We were afforded the great opportunity to show Chancellor Olaf Scholz how cooperation between universities, industry and the cities of the Ruhr metropolis enables innovation and creates attractive new jobs,” points out a delighted Rector Professor Martin Paul. “The contribution Ruhr University Bochum makes to this process was amply demonstrated in our ZESS research building with its focus on innovative production systems and in discussions with start-up entrepreneurs at our WSC start-up center. This is how regional transformation works, which is rooted in outstanding teamwork in the Ruhr region – most importantly, in the University Alliance Ruhr.”

ZESS facts and figures

established in July 2022
the first anchor point of Ruhr University Bochum on the future technology campus on Mark 51°7
fourth research building at Ruhr University Bochum with third-party funding: funded by the federal and state governments with 28 million euros
the fifth research building at Ruhr University Bochum, THINK (Center for Theoretical and Integrative Neuro- and Cognitive Science), is being built next door and will be commissioned in 2025
ZESS: research and development in the field of smart product-service systems with an interdisciplinary research team
integrated, networked research approach to the entire life cycle of smart product-service systems – from brainstorming to solution development, production, sales processes, service provision and decommissioning
the technological focus is on additive manufacturing, mobile ground and flight robotics and intelligent building technology

WSC facts and figures

Ruhr University Bochum is a start-up university
the WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center (WSC) supports over 100 start-up projects every year
innovative ideas are put into practice in more than 25 successful spin-offs per year
with its FACE@RUB Incubator, Ruhr University Bochum offers a platform for women interested in founding a company. This is where women from all over North Rhine-Westphalia who wish to start their own business find support, for example in the accelerator program
with approx. 25 percent women in start-up projects, it is already above the national average
WORLDFACTORY: funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as an Excellence Start-up Center.NRW

Following an invitation from the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR), the German Chancellor had the opportunity to see for himself how transformation works in the Ruhr region. Regional Director Garrelt Duin and Bochum’s Lord Mayor Thomas Eiskirch offered the guest a first-hand insight into the successful development of the Mark 51°7 innovation quarter in Bochum.