REGIONALE 2025: University of Siegen wins multi-million euro contract

Two projects in which the University of Siegen is significantly involved will receive over nine million euros. The focus is on future topics that are equally relevant for business and society: Artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty and the circular economy. Both projects were awarded the third REGIONALE 2025 star and can now be implemented. The funding is part of a total funding package of around 12 million euros from the state of NRW and the EU (ERDF).

AI for SMEs: from the region - for the region

Theory becomes practice: with the "AKIS - Adaptive AI Infrastructure for Innovation in South Westphalia" project, the University of Siegen is working with regional companies to establish its own AI data and research platform. The aim is to establish a flexible and adaptable AI research infrastructure in South Westphalia that goes beyond the offerings of traditional cloud providers or models such as Chat GPT. It should enable research, SMEs and industry alike to use AI independently, securely and sustainably.

"Instead of relying on a few global platforms, we are creating our own sovereign AI infrastructure in South Westphalia," says Prof. Dr. Andreas Kolb, Prorector for Research, Infrastructure and Networking and Head of the Chair of Computer Graphics and Multimedia Systems at the University of Siegen. "In this way, we are specifically strengthening the innovative capacity of research and SMEs." Numerous companies in the region have emphasized the need for such an infrastructure in letters of support.

The Center for Information and Media Technologies (ZIMT) at the University of Siegen plays a key role in the AKIS project. The SDFS Smarte Demonstrationsfabrik Siegen and eleQtron, the first German start-up for quantum computer hardware, based in Siegen, are also involved. "We are particularly proud of the close connection between research, practice and transfer, which makes 'AKIS' a real innovation driver for the region. 'AKIS' combines state-of-the-art hardware for a wide range of AI applications beyond the offerings of large language models such as ChatGPT," explains Daniel Harlacher, Head of ZIMT at the University of Siegen. "This enables low-threshold access to high-performance AI for everyone, from scientists to SMEs." Training courses, workshops and targeted advice are therefore also planned. The funding is expected to amount to up to 5.8 million euros.

Shaping the circular economy in a practical way

The "ReCirclE - Regional Circular Economy for Industrial Sheet Metal and Plastic Assemblies" project is also being launched with strong participation from the University of Siegen. Together with the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences and the Automotive Center South Westphalia (ACS), an open test and transfer platform is being created in Attendorn where companies can test new circular economy processes.

The focus is on the approach that products and tools should be designed from the outset in such a way that they can be efficiently dismantled and recycled at the end of their life cycle. The aim is to create modular, cost-effective solutions that save companies resources, reduce CO₂ emissions and open up new business models. "We want to show that the circular economy is not an abstract concept, but a concrete field of innovation for medium-sized industrial companies," explains Prof. Dr. Bernd Engel, Head of the Chair of Forming Technology at the University of Siegen. "We are particularly proud of the fact that we are able to combine cutting-edge research into sustainable recycling management with regional business practice." Training courses and technology days are also being planned in order to transfer knowledge and methods to regional industry in a targeted manner.

In addition to the Chair of Forming Technology, other institutions at the University of Siegen are also involved, including the Chairs of Production Automation and Assembly, International Production Engineering and Management (IPEM) and Business Information Systems and New Media. An estimated 3.6 million euros in funding is available for ReCirclE.

Background: EU funding of 1.9 billion euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is available for forward-looking, sustainable and innovative projects in North Rhine-Westphalia from the ERDF/JTF program NRW 2021-2027. This is supplemented by co-financing from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the projects' own contributions. Projects are supported in the areas of innovation, sustainability, SME development, quality of life, mobility and structural change in coal mining regions as well as strategic technologies and competitiveness. In South Westphalia, 52 projects have now been awarded the third star.

The REGIONALE 2025 is a structural program of the state of NRW. It is supported by federal and North Rhine-Westphalian urban development funding.