One principle on the path to a sustainable society is that transformation is a collective endeavor. Bochum University of Applied Sciences is realising this idea with the THALESruhr project, which was launched in 2023. It takes university knowledge out of the ivory tower and brings research results from the field of sustainability to life in the Ruhr metropolis. The aim is for technical, economic and social innovations to arrive and be implemented where they were once developed for: In the centre of our society.
 

Bochum University of Applied Sciences is already an expert on questions such as "What makes repair cafés, e-scooters and community gardens attractive?", "How is our city prepared for a flood event?" or "Should we all live in tiny houses?". At THALESruhr, Bochum University of Applied Sciences is bringing such topics to society in nine transfer projects and working together with a wide variety of stakeholders on the vision of the "Greenest Industrial Region in Europe". The individual projects are divided into three areas: "Resilience, mobility, energy", "Sustainable living and business" and "Production, planning, construction".  The project topics include efficient land utilisation, resilience to extreme water events, sustainable construction as well as climate compensation projects and the restructuring of road traffic areas.
 

With the participation of stakeholders such as local authorities, citizens and regional companies and organisations, Bochum University of Applied Sciences designs, evaluates and implements solutions for the transition to a sustainable Ruhr metropolis.It uses lively formats designed for participation - from the real-world laboratory and the mobile unit "e-Wandelbus" to the communication format "Science Bench" and the experimental location "MakerSpace". As part of THALESruhr, for example, a smart and digital monitoring system for flood disasters is being created in this way. There are also plans for centres in which libraries of things are housed together with repair stations.

A central office ("Transfer Hub for the Advancement, Livability and Efficiacy of Sustainabilty Transformations") manages and supports the projects and is the point of contact for anyone who wants to get involved on the road to a sustainable region. THALESruhr does not see itself as a project that offers ready-made and finalised solutions. The formats leave room for dialogue and creative input.

The university sees itself as a partner that wants to play an active role in regional transformation processes. For this reason, THALESruhr focuses on networking with multipliers who carry the content further into society. The aim is to reach people from as many areas and social classes as possible.Mechanisms such as a transformation advisory board (in which, for example, citizens and representatives of NGOs and authorities sit) and a regular exchange forum with other metropolises take this networking idea to heart and ensure that further research and transfer needs are continuously developed and recorded.