Project kick-off "InNoWest - Just do it! Sustainable and digital together in North-West Brandenburg"

The official launch of the joint project "InNoWest - Just do it! Sustainable and digital together in North-West Brandenburg"  („InNoWest – Einfach machen! Gemeinsam nachhaltig und digital in Nord-West-Brandenburg“) took place today. With funding of up to 14.7 million euros from the Joint Science Conference of the Federal Government and Brandenburg from the "Innovative University" funding initiative, the project will run until 2027. Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle came to Eberswalde for the launch of the joint project between Brandenburg's universities Eberswalde University of Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development (HNEE), Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (FHP) and Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (THB).

In her welcoming address, Minister Dr Manja Schüle made it clear: "The joint project of HNEE, FHP and THB is a prime example of successful transfer: Firstly, because it focuses on two of the greatest challenges of our time with the implementation of digitalisation and the development of greater sustainability. Secondly, because it plays to the respective strengths of the three universities. Thirdly, because it deliberately focusses on areas in the north-west of our country that are remote from universities. Fourthly, because it relies on the universities' proven presence centres. And fifthly - and this is particularly important to me - because the individual projects are to be implemented jointly and on an equal footing with the local stakeholders. To put it plainly: it is all about tangibly improving the quality of life for people in the triangle between Schwedt, Luckenwalde and Wittenberge. This is how the future is successfully created."

For the President of HNEE, Prof. Dr Matthias Barth, it is precisely this interaction between different partners that is forward-looking: "Using the strengths of our universities together with partners from practice in the region for sustainability and digitalisation in Brandenburg, identifying real needs and implementing solutions for them - simply doing it - that is real transfer and transformation for the future of the people in the region."

"InNoWest - simply do it! Sustainable and digital together in North-West Brandenburg" is a joint project of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (FHP) and the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (THB). The aim is to network and collaborate between the universities and regional stakeholders from politics and administration, SMEs and local organisations. By utilising the respective strengths of the universities, innovative and demand-oriented projects are to be developed in the fields of "User-centred digitalisation" (THB), "Sustainable transformation" (HNEE) and "Education for sustainable development and participation" (FHP). All three subject areas are being addressed in the regions of north-west Brandenburg, which tend to be remote from higher education institutions. The very heterogeneously structured region is located between Hamburg and Berlin in the north-west of the federal state. The tension between peripheral rural and urban areas is also characterised by structural upheavals in the context of German reunification. The experiences of transformation made during this time are being taken up by the joint project.

In the region, the presence centres of the universities play a central role as an anchor for cooperation between practice partners and universities. The aim is to make the universities' expertise more usable in the region and to strengthen the region's quality of life and future viability.

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