
From research to business: it’s OWL Transfer Day presents how technology transfer works
Artificial intelligence, digitalization – and not losing sight of sustainability: For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, it is not always easy to keep track of current trends or even introduce new technologies on their own. There are many transfer offers in OstWestfalenLippe to support companies with these challenges. The it’s OWL Transfer Day 2024 provided a platform for dialog between research institutions and companies and impressively demonstrated how the transfer of knowledge and technologies into practice can work.
Whether data-driven optimization of manufacturing processes or innovative solutions to support modern working methods: Twelve projects gave the more than 100 participants at the Transfer Day the opportunity to see for themselves how well the transfer from research to SMEs works – and how companies in the region are taking important steps towards digital transformation. “Artificial intelligence and digitalization are important keys to strengthening the competitiveness of industrial SMEs. OstWestfalenLippe has a strong network and many offers to support small and medium-sized enterprises. We saw this clearly at our Transfer Day,” says Günter Korder, Managing Director of it’s OWL. it’s OWL projects such as Datenfabrik.NRW, the Kompetenzzentrum Arbeitswelt.Plus and the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL presented new technologies and applications. For example, for production and logistics, for skills development and personnel development and for new forms of collaboration.

Innovative technology transfer: Berief Food relies on process mining
The it’s OWL transfer project of Berief Food GmbH in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IEM was an example that illustrated the possibilities of knowledge transfer particularly vividly at the it’s OWL Transfer Day. The manufacturer of plant-based foods, such as oat and soy drinks, was faced with a double challenge: the demand for plant-based products is constantly increasing, while at the same time raw material costs and competitive pressure are rising. To meet these challenges, Berief decided to digitize its production processes – using process mining as a central method.
It quickly became clear to us that this technology offers enormous potential for optimizing our production processes.
Marvin Lanhenke, Solutions Architect at Berief Food GmbH
Process mining is a method that uses data from IT systems to make business processes visible and uncover potential for optimization. In food production, as at Berief, this means that the complex processes – in which raw materials such as oats or soy are filled into 1-litre cartons through large tanks and long pipelines – are analyzed with the help of sensor data.
From Inside it’s OWL to the transfer project
The idea for a project and the cooperation with Fraunhofer IEM came from a webinar in the ‘Inside it’s OWL’ series. “There, we gained our first insights into the possibilities of process mining. It quickly became clear to us that this technology offers enormous potential for optimizing our production processes,” says Marvin Lanhenke, Solutions Architect at Berief Food GmbH.

Transfer project optimizes production planning and use of resources
The challenge in the transfer project was to fully capture the complex process at Berief Food GmbH. This is where process mining came into play: the machine data from the production facilities was converted into what is known as an event log. An event log is a type of protocol that records all relevant events and data points in the production process. This data was then used to analyze the movements of the raw materials within the plant. For example, the question was: Are raw materials being moved unnecessarily or are they being stored in the tanks for too long?
This success shows how important it is for companies to tap into their wealth of data and use it specifically to optimize processes.
Jonathan Brock, research associate at the Fraunhofer IEM
“Our task was to help Berief Food use its machine data and convert it into usable information. By visualizing and analyzing the production processes, we were able to jointly identify and immediately implement concrete improvements. This success shows how important it is to leverage the wealth of data in companies and use it specifically for process optimization,” says Jonathan Brock, research associate at Fraunhofer IEM. The analysis enabled Berief to identify weak points in production planning and gain valuable insights into how resources can be used more efficiently.
Company praises it’s OWL project
From Berief’s perspective, the project was a complete success, as Marvin Lanhenke, Solutions Architect at Berief Food GmbH, emphasizes: “By using process mining, we have gained a data-based overview of our internal processes. We were able to gain valuable insights into how we can further optimize our processes and use resources more efficiently. These evidence-based findings enable us to reduce our production costs without compromising on the quality of our products.” The example of Berief Food GmbH is an impressive demonstration of how the transfer of digital technologies and expertise helps medium-sized companies to hold their own in a highly competitive market. Companies at it’s OWL benefit from cooperation on an equal footing with the respective research institution. “The collaboration with Fraunhofer IEM via it’s OWL was uncomplicated and extremely solution-oriented right from the start. We worked together on the challenges and were able to develop solutions that could be implemented quickly,” says Lanhenke.
it’s OWL offers a platform for technology transfer
In addition to the projects presented, the transfer day offered space for talks and discussions. The representatives from business and science took the opportunity to exchange experiences and discover new opportunities for cooperation. It became clear that OWL, with its strong network in the region, is already a pioneer in technology transfer. OstWestfalenLippe GmbH and it’s OWL offer platforms that promote exchange between the various players and support SMEs on the path to transformation. “The discussions and talks have shown that we in OWL now need to join forces even more and break new ground. With new projects, offers and formats. Our strong transfer network of business development institutions, chambers, innovation networks, universities and research institutions is the basis for this,” says Wolfgang Marquardt, Head of PR and Marketing it’s OWL and authorized signatory of OstWestfalenLippe GmbH.