Kick-off event for the AUFBRUCH graduate cluster
Launch of the graduate cluster "AUFBRUCH - Shaping the transformation to a sustainable regional bioeconomy"
We are delighted that we were able to celebrate the launch of the AUFBRUCH graduate cluster together with over 120 participants from science, industry and politics at a festive kick-off event on July 2. The graduate cluster pursues three goals in order to create a sustainable impact in the Rhenish mining area: to provide young people with excellent, interdisciplinary qualifications as part of their doctorate, to research innovations for a sustainable bioeconomy and to create start-ups in the Rhenish mining area. AUFBRUCH is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 12.5 million euros as an anchor project within the framework of structural change. The project partners are seven academic institutions and an innovation network around the Rhenish mining area: RWTH Aachen, FH Aachen, HHU Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Hochschule Niederrhein, TH Köln, TU Dortmund and the industrial biotechnology cluster CLIB.
The event began with a brief introduction by Regina Palkovits (RWTH Aachen University) and Tobias Klement (CLIB), who, as coordinators, presented the history of the Graduate Cluster and its objectives and once again expressed their sincere thanks to all those involved in getting the project off the ground since the call for funding in 2021.
In her welcoming address, Minister Ina Brandes from the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) emphasized how important the cooperation between science and industry that AUFBRUCH is striving for is for a sustainable future in NRW. After all, the state has the ambition to become the first climate-neutral industrial region in Europe. The "T-shaped researchers" qualified in AUFBRUCH, who combine deep disciplinary excellence and a broad interdisciplinary understanding, are essential for this transformation.
Ministerial Director Oda Keppler from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Christian Dinnus, Head of the Structural Change Unit (MWIKE NRW), then addressed the importance of the bioeconomy as an important component of transformation and structural change. Innovations are urgently needed for the transition from fossil raw materials to renewable resources for energy and chemicals, which will ultimately prove to be a job engine in the region. AUFBRUCH is making an important contribution to sustainable development in the region.
The doctoral students will conduct research into the six major innovation topics of the cluster, addressing key challenges on the path to a bioeconomy such as defossilization, logistics and scale-up. This is done on the basis of specific, area-related issues, which will deal with rubber recycling, green plasticizers or modular bioreactors, for example. Particular emphasis will be placed on transferring the findings to the local economy, whether through cooperation with companies or, above all, through spin-offs in the district. In this way, sustainable jobs can be created and sustainable added value generated.
Graduate clusters always offer a hopeful view of the future. We look forward to motivated young people, groundbreaking innovations and competitive start-up ideas, in short: to four exciting years of AUFBRUCH!
Further information:
Contact:
Lehrstuhl für Heterogene Katalyse und Technische Chemie, RWTH Aachen University
Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie e.V. CLIB