The Ruhr Area is the location of Germany’s leading waste management enterprise. Hence, the development of concepts for the Closed Loop Materials Economy, recycling of used resources and the production of recycled fiber stock have all played important roles in the area over the last few years. It is exactly in this field that market growth is expected to occur. And this does not mean solely in Germany: in other European states, the demands for environmentally-friendly and efficient recycling methods are rising.

The Projekt Ruhr GmbH aims at supporting this development in the Ruhr Area and therefore commissioned SUSTAIN CONSULT to draft a concept for the advancement of the Closed Loop Materials Economy und Environmental Technology of the region. Maybe most importantly, this included the building of a center of excellence through which development measures and procedures may be collectively discussed, decided on and finally implemented together with regional businesses. The goals are to strengthen the recycled goods production, to strengthen the further development of recycling technology and to ultimately increase export levels of know-how and technology abroad.

The prospects of business development and methods of development of a regional industrial Cluster are most promising when they are collaboratively accomplished with public institutions, as well as with private companies. In the course of these developments, SUSTAIN CONSULT additionally concentrates on Environmental Technology and the Closed Loop Materials Economy of such a public-private-partnership. Such a partnership offers optimal possibilities for strengthening regional revenue through which new employment opportunities are then ultimately made available.

Contact Person:
Ralf Löckener
loeckener@sustain-consult.com
T: +49 (0)231 – 981 285 11

The Ruhr Area is a center for the production of power plant technology: the production of turbines, large, steam generators and electricity generators – including all necessary peripheral equipment (e.g.: gear controls, environmental technology, cooling towers etc.) – as well as vendor parts all belong to the outstanding regional production skills. As worldwide energy demands are on the rise, so has the need for beneficial short-term opportunities for development to become unfolded. However, Ruhr Area producers must indeed prove themselves in this increasingly highly competitive market – in which innovative technology at reasonable prices will, above all else, have an effect on their success and prosperity.

The development of the energy market as a field of expertise in the Ruhr Area belongs to the tasks of the Projekt Ruhr GmbH – a state-owned organization for the advancement of industry in the Ruhr Area. The Projekt Ruhr GmbH commissioned SUSTAIN CONSULT to develop a strategy for the advancement of power plant technology in the Ruhr Area. SUSTAIN CONSULT was further responsible for identifying innovative projects enabling producers to better strengthen and increase their skills and areas of expertise. Hereby, the mobilization of companies aiming at actively participating in Cluster advancement within the Ruhr Area played a key role, as such companies would then profit from these advancements regarding their individual company development.

Meanwhile, SUSTAIN CONSULT has supported several such projects, e.g.: the planning of gas turbine test stands. Through this, long-running testing of innovative turbine technology has been made possible. Such testing may assist in decreasing the amount of current toxic emissions and of fuel consumption. A further area of concentration is the advancement of power plant technology production supply companies, which are oftentimes medium-sized companies active in this field. The production of machine components that are stable at high temperatures (e.g.: turbine blades) is, for example, a key starting point for expertise fortification in the field of power plant technology in the Ruhr Area.

Contact Person:
Dr. Torsten Sundmacher
Sundmacher@sustain-consult.com
T: +49 (0) 171 – 74 52 787

The Märkish Region in the southern part of the Ruhr Area aims at developing the Health Industry sector as a regional industrial Cluster and to hence, acquire the profile of being a “Health Region”. Therefore, the Organization for Industrial and Structural Promotion in the Märkish District (GWS-MK) and the EN Agentur – Business Development Agency Ennepe-Ruhr GmbH plan to increase regional revenue in this field by means of regional Cluster Management, by combining regional strengths and then coordinating these into a network body, as well as to initiate co operational projects between companies and research and development institutions of the region.

SUSTAIN CONSULT supported regional business development institutions with the implementation of Cluster Management and advancement measures. This regional development process was accompanied by the coaching of business development approaches and through specialized seminars on Cluster Management. Results were evaluated by SUSTAIN CONSULT and were then processed and prepared for further strategy development with the Ministry for Economy of North-Rhine Westphalia.

In the course of this particular project, the Organization for Industrial and Structural Promotion in the Märkish District (GWS-MK) and the EN Agentur – Business Development Agency Ennepe-Ruhr GmbH have successfully proven and established themselves as initiators of project development regarding economic Health Clusters of the region. Meanwhile, a network of companies and closely-related institutions has been developed that reaches beyond the scope and life-cycle of the original project.

Further information: www.gesundheitswirtschaft.net

Contact Person:
Birgit Timmer
timmer@sustain-consult.com
T: +49 (0)231 – 981 285 12

The Federation of German Trade Unions, District North Rhine-Westphalia (DGB Bezirk NRW) - in cooperation with the Project GUBIS - aims at helping to further increase the level of quality of procedure and regional industrial effectiveness. Structural policy is a matter for key industrial players. Therefore, it demands effective, sustainable mobilization of the contributions made by these very key players. The goal of this project is to increase the structural policy competencies of these players in addition to broadening their basis of structural-political policy in general.

For the mobilization of these key players, SUSTAIN CONSULT - in co operation with the German Labor Federation of North-Rhine Westphalia – initiated and accompanied the establishment of both regional and state working groups. A discussion of collectively drawn-up solutions for the configuration of structural modifications was made possible through the moderation of SUSTAIN CONSULT. The results of these discussions were then in turn able to be transformed into qualified and optimally operational projects. Hereby, single and group coaching sessions were important instruments for the development of structurally effective projects. In order to further increase players’ competency levels, SUSTAIN CONSULT worked closely with it’s partner Düsseldorfer Institut für Soziale Dialoge in developing and conducting politically structured seminars.

In the end, SUSTAIN CONSULT succeeded in developing structurally effective projects, as well as in gaining new players from branches and companies for regionally structured politics. In doing so, additional resources and areas of competency in order for designing and configuring a structural vicissitude in the region of North-Rhine Westphalia were made possible.

Contact Person:
Birgit Timmer
timmer@sustain-consult.de
T: +49 (0)231 – 981 285 12