NRW Minister for Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur visits the KreativInstitut.OWL
At the intersection of science, culture, digitalisation and business: at the KreativInstitut.OWL (KIO) in Detmold, researchers, students and creative professionals are working together interdisziplinär to develop new approaches for transfer of knowledge to regional businesses. Since 2022, the joint consortium comprising the Paderborn University, the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and the Detmold University of Music has been bringing together expertise from Media Studies, Computer Science and related creative disciplines. During a visit to the site, Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, was also able to see for herself the innovative strength of the KIO.
“Anyone who wants to bring innovative technologies into businesses quickly needs spaces where researchers can meet practitioners and create something good together. At the KreativInstitut.OWL, it becomes clear what the creative industries and science can achieve together. This is where forward-looking ideas are born that have the potential to make our state more competitive, digital and sustainable. This serves as a model for the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Neubaur.
Spanning around 1,000 square metres, the KIO offers state-of-the-art laboratories, e.g. for recording audio experiences or developing extended reality applications. In addition to the existing infrastructure, plans are in place to establish a start-up centre in Detmold, a ‘Creativity-to-Business’ building for companies in the cultural and creative industries, and a centre for digital sustainable construction. Neubaur discussed these developments with the university management.
During a tour of the institute, the Minister gained insights into various projects from the research areas of ‘Digital Media Production’, ‘Composition & Sound Design’, ‘Digital Humanities/Music Informatics’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’. As part of “HumaNN”, for example, a neural network is simulated by humans, thereby explaining how AI works in an accessible way. The “Denk:Mal!” project demonstrates how digital technologies can create new ways of engaging with cultural heritage. Historical monuments are visualised using holograms in special display cases, allowing them to be experienced virtually. The art project “Augmented Ubiquity” combines music, dance and innovative technologies to create a freely accessible audiovisual experience. In the innovative open-air concert format “Zukunftsmusik? – Klassik neu verkabelt”, the audience can interactively influence the musical arrangement. “The realisation of the projects on display was only possible thanks to support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the interdisciplinary collaboration of staff from the three universities,” said Prof. Dr Guido Falkemeier, Director of the KIO.
“The cultural and creative industries remain a growing sector in Germany. Through successful cross-university collaboration, we have created a space with the KIO where we can conduct forward-looking and application-oriented research in this field. This makes the institute a magnet for creative professionals and media practitioners, even beyond the region,” says Prof. Dr Matthias Bauer, President of Paderborn University. “It is always wonderful to see what we can achieve together with our partner universities/institutions in and for OWL.”
The KreativInstitut.OWL on the Kreativ Campus Detmold is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
This text was translated automatically.
