Science Compass Rhine-Waal online

Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 29 June 2015: The new Science Compass Rhein-Waal knowledge platform (www.sciencecompass.de) is now online! It offers a wealth of information – particularly for businesses in the German-Dutch border region. In this way, it fosters collaboration between the academic sector and the regional business community and promotes innovation.

The trilingual website features a user-friendly search function that allows users to access the scientific expertise of all research and educational institutions along the Rhine and Waal rivers. The search engine draws on a fully integrated database containing information on contact persons, research priorities and degree programmes in German, Dutch and English. This enables businesses to gain a detailed insight into the work of these organisations and to get in touch with them. In addition to the many researchers, there is also great potential amongst the numerous students in the Euregio Rhine-Waal. Interested entrepreneurs can use the Science Compass to gain an insight into the degree programmes and thus familiarise themselves with the skills of their potential skilled workers.

For around three years now, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences has been working closely with other higher education institutions in the border region as part of the ‘Rhein-Waal Knowledge Alliance 2020’ project. It was in this context that the idea for the digital knowledge platform Science Compass emerged, which makes it easier for businesses to collaborate with universities. This form of cooperation offers enormous potential, as universities generate knowledge that is urgently needed by businesses.

The website ‘Science Compass – Rhine-Waal Knowledge Platform’ (www.sciencecompass.de) was developed as part of the INTERREG IV A project ‘Rhine-Waal Knowledge Alliance 2020’. The project involves Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the University of Duisburg-Essen, Radboud University, Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, Eindhoven University of Technology and Wageningen University, as well as the Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Kamer van Koophandel and, as lead partner, the Euregio Rhein-Waal. The “Rhine-Waal Knowledge Alliance 2020” project is co-funded under the INTERREG IV A Germany–Netherlands programme with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Ministry for Economic Affairs, SMEs and Energy, Industry and Skilled Trades of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the provinces of Gelderland and North Brabant. The project is supported by the programme management team at Euregio Rhine-Waal.