North Rhine-Westphalia is situated at the heart of Europe and has a population of 17.93 million people. With a GDP of 733.26 billion euros (20.53% of German GDP) it is an economic hub of Europe. Regarding the R&I sector, it is a region with the highest density of universities and research institutions in Europe: 68 universities and over 50 non-university research institutes jointly funded by federal and state governments – among them 14 Max Planck Institutes, 16 Fraunhofer Institutes, 10 Leibniz Institutes, 3 Helmholtz Centres and 1 Helmholtz Institute, 16 Johannes Rau Research Institutes plus approx. 100 university research institutes.
The focus of our research policy is to strengthen the research priorities developed and profiled by the universities and research institutions on their own responsibility. The state government drives the development of North Rhine-Westphalia as a research location together with the scientific community, respecting the autonomy and academic freedom of universities, research institutions and scientists. North Rhine-Westphalian funding for research and knowledge transfer is open for all types of technologies and solutions. The decisive criteria are the recognised scientific quality and innovation potential of a project.
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S3 Strategy
With the guiding principle of smart specialisation and a consistent focus on the future, the regional innovation strategy 2021-2027 of North Rhine-Westphalia defines seven key areas of innovation and action that are particularly relevant for the state’s economic and social development.
These key areas are: (1) Innovative materials and intelligent production, (2) Interconnected mobility and logistics, (3) Environmental economy and circular economy, (4) Energy and innovative construction, (5) Innovative medicine, health and life science, (6) Culture, the media, creative industries and innovative services and (7) Key technologies for the future, ICT.
Strategic R&I Projects
Latest Updates
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
HuMUS open call for proposal - Participatory governance on soil health - Deadline Extended until 5 April
The HuMUS project has launched a cascade funding call aimed at supporting 20 pilot projects in fostering participatory governance methods to improve soil health at regional and local levels in Europe. The total budget for the HuMUS Call for Pilot proposals is €600.000, with a maximum subgrant of €30.000 (lump sum) per Pilot Project. The deadline for proposal submission has been extended until 05 April 2024.
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
13 cities from ERRIN member regions selected as NetZeroCities Twin Cities
The NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, has through its Twinning Programme matched 40 Twin Cities from across Europe with the 53 Pilot Cities that were selected earlier this year. ERRIN is pleased to see that 13 of the selected Twin Cities come from ERRIN member regions.