How the Münsterland remains fit for the future: Innovation forum welcomes around 100 guests
Inspiring keynotes, varied forums and concrete approaches to implementation: the Münsterland Innovation Forum, which took place at Münster/Osnabrück Airport on Wednesday, offered participants a wide range of insights into the region's circular economy. Under the title "Münsterland in the cycle - shaping the future together", the event organised by Münsterland e.V. highlighted the ways in which the local economy can be sustainable, resource-conserving and competitive.
"In order to optimally position Münsterland for the future, we need the commitment of the entire region. The Innovation Forum offers the perfect framework to bring together companies, skilled workers and innovation drivers and to work together on solutions," says Andreas Grotendorst, CEO of Münsterland e.V.
Around 100 participants from the region took part in the Innovation Forum and contributed to a total of five forums with different focal points and workshop elements. Keynote speeches by Dr Katharina Fechtner from BASF Coatings GmbH and Prof. Jörg Probst from the University of Bochum as well as plenty of time for networking rounded off the event, while the sponsors of the Innovation Forum, Sparkassen im Münsterland, Provinzial Versicherung AG, Westenergie AG and Stadtwerke Münster GmbH, also showed how important the topic of sustainability is to their organisations.
Dr. Annegret Saxe, member of the board at Sparkasse Münsterland Ost, representing the savings banks in the Münsterland region, emphasizes: “For the savings banks in the Münsterland region, sustainability and economics are inextricably linked. One cannot function without the other, because both issues revolve around securing the future and conserving resources. And this has been the case for around 200 years.”
Dr. Dietmar Schölisch, Head of Overall Risk Management, Investor Relations & Sustainability at Provinzial Versicherung AG, says: “At Provinzial, we have established a sustainability board at the level directly below the executive board to track our ESG efforts and discuss our progress.”
Alexandra Mateeva, Head of Sustainability and Resilience at Westnetz GmbH, a subsidiary of Westenergie AG, says: “For us, sustainability begins with planning. We focus on resource-efficient network expansion, for example through dual construction sites or low-loss technology. With pilot projects such as the combination of green roofs and photovoltaics, we specifically examine ecological effects such as CO₂ binding and biodiversity.”
Sebastian Jurczyk, CEO of Stadtwerke Münster GmbH, says: “Many threads of municipal climate protection come together here: electricity generation from wind and solar power for Münster households, the development of green heat supply in our city, and the complete electrification of the bus fleet are good examples. In our strategy, we are juggling many balls at once.”
In addition to the innovation forum, Münsterland e.V. is also dedicating an ERDF-funded project to the topic of circular economy. Interested companies can participate in the “Münsterland Circular Economy Region” as network partners and contribute to greater sustainability and resource conservation. More information at: go.muensterland.com/kreislaufwirtschaft
About the Münsterland Innovation Forum
Every two years, Münsterland e.V. awards the Münsterland Innovation Prize – together with the sponsors of the competition: the savings banks in Münsterland, Provinzial Versicherung AG, Westenergie AG, and Stadtwerke Münster GmbH.
In the years when the competition is not held, the Münsterland Innovation Forum highlights a current topic. It offers employees of companies, universities, and institutions in the Münsterland region a platform for information and networking. For more information, visit: www.innovationsforum-muensterland.com.
