Strategy conference: it’s OWL presents new performance center and focus groups
How can we remain competitive despite growing challenges? How can digitalization become a real added value? And which technologies really move companies forward? Answers to these questions were provided at the it’s OWL Strategy Conference 2025, which attracted over 270 representatives from business and science to the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum. The focus was on two major premieres: the opening of the Engineering Automation Performance Center and the launch of the it’s OWL focus groups – new offerings that actively support companies on their way to a digital and sustainable future.
New performance center: accelerating development processes with AI
The newly opened Engineering Automation Performance Center is an important milestone for the region. Here, companies can use artificial intelligence (AI) in a targeted manner in product development in order to react more quickly to market requirements and save resources at the same time.
“Companies in Ostwestfalen-Lippe need high-performance technologies in order to remain competitive. The new performance center pools regional AI expertise in order to actively shape this change and further strengthen OWL as a core industrial region,” says Dr. Stefan Breit, Managing Director of Miele and Chairman of the it’s OWL Cluster Board.
One highlight is the AI copilots: intelligent assistance systems that support engineers in their daily work. Instead of spending hours searching for components, the system delivers the right result in 13 seconds – a huge efficiency gain. Repetitive tasks can also be automated, leaving more time for creative and value-adding activities.
“With the breakthrough of generative AI, the boundaries of what is possible have shifted. The close integration of AI and engineering not only means significant efficiency gains, but also completely new possibilities for product design and development. Our goal is for German industry to recognize and use AI as a decisive competitive advantage,” explains Prof. Roman Dumitrescu, Director at Fraunhofer IEM and Managing Director of it’s OWL.
Premiere of the focus groups: Exchange at eye level
Another highlight was the premiere of the focus groups, which offer interested companies a platform for direct exchange and joint work on solutions. The groups are dedicated to five forward-looking topics:
- Applied AI – Concrete applications of artificial intelligence for companies
- Digital twin – increasing efficiency and sustainability through digital images of products and processes
- Secure Software & Cloud Computing – Security standards and best practices for the digital infrastructure
- Technology management – recognizing trends early and developing strategies
- Engineering Automation – utilizing the potential of automation in product development
Company representatives can now register for the it’s OWL focus groups and actively participate in the topics.
Practical insights: flagship projects and digitalization opportunities
A highlight of the conference was the panel talk ‘Cluster Love’, in which experts from the leading projects of the Leading-Edge Cluster shared their experiences. Andre Wenzel (CLAAS, Datenfabrik.NRW), Rebecca Hanke (Miele, Stratosfare), Marcel Ellermann (WAGO, Arbeitswelt.Plus) and Rik Rasor(KI-Marktplatz) reported on the successes, challenges and added value of their projects. The exchange illustrated how practical research and close cooperation between companies and science lead to tangible results.
Finally, Tom Oelsner, Chief Digital Officer of the GEA Group, showed how companies can use digitalization as an opportunity. He emphasized that digital technologies are already enabling measurable efficiency gains today.
Impressions of the it’s OWL Strategy Conference 2025
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