Accelerating Innovation Through Ecosystem Transparency

The Client

A regional life-sciences innovation initiative in the Ruhr/Westphalia region, aimed at strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, and startups. Funded by EU and NRW government grants, the project creates structured access to lab infrastructure, know-how, and partnership opportunities.

The Challenge

The region is rich in scientific ideas, yet early-stage innovation was held back by recurring barriers:

• High costs for lab space and specialized equipment prevented founders and researchers from launching or validating ideas.
• No centralized system existed to identify and access available resources.
• Fragmented visibility hindered knowledge transfer between industry, research institutions, and clinical settings.

The Approach

Green Digital Consulting supported the initiative by developing a structured framework and digital infrastructure:

1. Ecosystem Mapping – Identified key stakeholders across bioprocessing, bioanalytics, clinical labs, and equipment providers.
2. Asset Transparency – Designed a pilot registry (“Kataster”) cataloging bioprocess and bioanalytics assets across labs and universities.
3. Digital Integration – Linked this registry to a lab-device–sharing platform and curated explorer teams to drive engagement.
4. Engagement Programming – Launched events and “Transfer-Tours” to foster cross-domain match-making between clinicians, researchers, and innovators.
5. Phase Roadmap – Structured the rollout through 2027, emphasizing regional expansion and sustainability.

The Results

• Greater Access: Labs and founders now can discover resources through a smart searchable registry.
• Faster Matchmaking: Sharing of equipment and collaborations increased efficiency across sectors.
• Broader Participation: Regional awareness of available assets and collaborative formats has grown significantly.
• Roadmap Established: A phased strategy is in place to integrate additional transfer tools, including sharing of decommissioned devices and expanding to other specializations.

Key Insight

Smart ecosystems flourish when stakeholders can see and access one another’s capabilities. By building structured visibility, through registries, matching formats, and sharing platforms, ecosystems like Klic 2 go empower innovation from idea to impact.

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