Iserlohn. Christoph Neumann will be the new managing director of “Do it Südwestfalen”. He explains how companies and universities benefit from the concept.
“Every district thinks for itself. They are geographically separated from each other, but we have so many opportunities here and also world market leaders in the region South Westphalia. We need a common identity,” says Christoph Neumann, currently managing director of “Weltenraum” in Iserlohn. This would create advantages for the many local companies. This should “Do the SüdwestfalenThe Letmather will take over management there from August 1st and explains how the economy can benefit from the ideas behind it.
“The people of Olpe have nothing to do with the people of Iserlohn. There are no formats for an exchange. The South Westphalia Agency takes care of regional development, but not yet at the level of production and innovation when it comes to creating something together. Developers have to talk to developers, but so far everyone is cooking their own soup,” says the 41-year-old. This is where “Do the Südwestfalen“ thanks to funding and so far 44 member companies, including all universities in the region, in order to ensure a transfer of research into companies. For 12 years now, there has been “Do it OWL“, which has already generated over 100 million euros in funding.
Bringing companies and universities together
An encounter in the field of industry and innovation could look like this: A company wants to take a closer look at the topic of artificial intelligence in production and five other members of “Do it” then declare that they would like to participate. A university of applied sciences could then contribute its know-how and provide scientific support for the project. This can be implemented with the help of funding. “Smaller companies might not otherwise be able to do this, but this way they can manage it through their shared strengths. The important goal is that something is developed together and not everyone for themselves,” explains Neumman, who also points out that in South Westphalia many Start-ups and companies that are simply unknown. “The first quantum computer is in Siegen. Nobody knows that. Through ‘Do it’, completely different companies, people and potentials can meet.”
“The first quantum computer is in Siegen. Nobody knows that. Through ‘Do it’, completely different companies, people and potentials can meet.”
Christoph Neumann,
In his opinion, Iserlohn could also benefit from this, as the city is ideally located in the region. The motorway connection, for example, leads quickly to Dortmund, with a large university and local technology companies. It is also easy to get there by train. Other metropolises such as Düsseldorf are easy to reach. In Iserlohn, the world is still in order. The location is a huge advantage. The club landscape is reasonable and the Roosters are a magnet in the city. “It must be easier for young families to gain a foothold here, also with an attractive kindergarten landscape, where the fees have the exact opposite effect, and also the Start-up-Support could be more consistent, but we often talk about Iserlohn in a worse way than it actually is.” Points that are important for the issue of the shortage of skilled workers.
Lack of skilled workers makes “Do it Südwestfalen” a topic
This is what “Do the Südwestfalen“ but only to a limited extent, also because there is already an offer in the form of the “Employer Forge” that deals with exactly this and no competition is intended to arise, at most supplements.
The “Space“ in Iserlohn will no longer be run by him from August, but by his cousin, who is currently still the main shareholder there. “Do it” will, however, move in there in order to have a branch not only in Olpe, but also in Iserlohn, in order to be able to bring companies together in this part of the region as well.
