Innovative Ideas for Structural Change

 

RWTH coordinates alliance for structural change in the Rhenish mining area.

The BMBF program "WIR! - Change through Innovation in the Region" is funding the "Mine ReWIR" project coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT) at RWTH Aachen University. 44 alliances were selected from 130 applications. These will receive funding of up to 250,000 euros each for a nine-month concept phase starting in September 2020.

"Mine ReWIR" aims to establish a regional innovation network in close cooperation with the Human Technology Center (HumTec) at RWTH Aachen University and Nivelsteiner Sandwerke GmbH and thus turn the lignite phase-out in the coalfield into a successful transformation story. The focus is on regional suppliers from the mining sector. Together with companies and municipal stakeholders, innovation paths are being opened up in order to further develop the competencies anchored in the region in the field of primary raw material extraction, to retain know-how in the region and thus to contribute to sustainable structural change. Core partners are the Mining Industry Network in the EnergyAgency.NRW, RWE Power AG and the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce, as well as the VDMA Mining and the Foreign Mining Association (FAB) in the VRB and LTU Business AB from Sweden.

During the concept phase, the innovation potentials in the areas of internationalization, digitalization, diversification and sustainable value chains for the development of new products and services are elicited and evaluated. The selected areas promote the region's competencies based on a long tradition - with the aim of creating future-proof jobs and increased attractiveness of the region. In this way, the alliance is helping to realize the vision of transforming the Rhenish coalfield into a model region for energy supply and resource security in Europe. Once the strategy work has been completed, a decision will be made in the fall of 2021 as to which alliances will move on to the implementation phase.

Editorial department: Press and Communications