How can the digital transformation succeed in NRW? During a visit to Lemgo, inIT and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA gave Wibke Brems concrete insights into applied AI, intelligent production and networked cities.
On 11 June 2025, Wibke Brems, parliamentary group leader of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, visited the Innovation Campus Lemgo. The visit was part of a tour of institutions in NRW that are driving forward digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technological innovation. The aim was to gain insights into current research and to strengthen the dialogue between politics, science and practice, particularly on issues relating to knowledge transfer and the implementation of digital solutions.
Wibke Brems was accompanied by her personal advisor Dr. Zoe Olbermann, Dr. Inga Loke, parliamentary group leader in the district council and digitalisation expert, and Dr. Burkhard Pohl, district council member and spokesperson for science, higher education and religion as well as candidate for mayor of Lemgo.
inIT and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA: Research for the digital transformation
The delegation was welcomed by the Institute Industrial IT (inIT) and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA. The discussions with the institute directors Prof. Dr. Henning Trsek (inIT) and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Jasperneite (Fraunhofer IOSB-INA), covered current research priorities, strategic challenges and specific fields of application.
The focus was on the role of research institutions in the digital transformation, the importance of secure and sustainable technologies and the structural conditions for the successful transfer of knowledge to public administration or companies. The need for flexible funding structures and the relevance of cyber security were also discussed.
Tour of the SmartFactoryOWL and Future City Solutions rooms
This was followed by a tour of the SmartFactoryOWL, the real-world laboratory for Industry 4.0 and the Future City Solutions rooms. Nissrin Perez, Fraunhofer IOSB-INA project manager for SmartFactoryOWL, gave a practical insight into current demonstrators and developments in the field of intelligent production.
"I found it particularly exciting to see how SmartFactoryOWL is working on very specific digital solutions - for example, how digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence make industrial production more efficient, sustainable and human-centric," said Wibke Brems.
During the tour of the Future City Solutions premises, Michaela Lödige and Jens-Peter Seick (both from Fraunhofer IOSB-INA) showed how digital, sustainable and participatory technologies help to make cities smarter and more liveable.
Thinking digitalisation holistically
The visit made it clear how inIT and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA are actively driving digital change. Whether in production, in cities or in administration: the implementation of digital technologies requires reliable partnerships, strategic dialogue and long-term support.
"We are delighted about the interest in our research! Direct dialogue with policymakers creates mutual understanding - this is crucial in order to effectively put digital innovations into practice," the two institute directors agree.