Eight inspiring project ideas
Around 80 students, trainees and professionals from Düsseldorf and the surrounding area took part in the fourth Innovation Semester of the knowledge region of Düsseldorf in winter semester 2022/23. They presented their ideas at the final in the Haus der Universität (‘University House’) on 23 March. The team of the HSD course titled BREWNO – Braue dein eigenes Altbier (BREWNO – brew your own top-fermented dark beer) won this year's prize for the best project.
In a total of eight courses, the participating teams have dealt with exciting societal challenges: They could produce their own music, design a vision for urban life of the future, work as online editors, learn to brew local specialty beer, deal with sustainable recycling of packaging, conceptualise a virtual exhibition or shoot films on their smartphones. The teams were supported by experts from Heinrich Heine University, Hochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences, Fliedner Fachhochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences and Henkel.
‘The insight that we learn especially from people who think differently to ourselves and, connected to this, the openness to people, is in my view one of the core competences of our time. It is the core idea of the association for the promotion of the knowledge region of Düsseldorf, Wissensregion Düsseldorf e. V.!’, said Prof. Edeltraud Vomberg, chairwoman of the board of the association in her welcoming speech. ‘That is why I hope that you will take at least this one insight from your experience during the Innovation Semester, from the discussions in your courses and from developing your project results, for your further education, career and life path: that you are open and stay open to the ideas and ways of thinking of others.’
‘I am impressed by how many committed young people in the knowledge region of Düsseldorf have participated in this Innovation Semester,’ said Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller. Gregor Berghausen, head of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce, also affirmed this in his closing remarks: ‘We are proud to support the final and to award a prize to the best team of this Innovation Semester.’ The three jury members, each representing a member institution of the knowledge region of Düsseldorf, voted for the HSD brewing project supervised by Prof. Jörg Becker-Schweitzer, Patrick Blättermann and Thomas Zipf from HSD. In a short film, the team presented their project from initial idea to final results. Not only did the team learn about the biochemical and technical processes of brewing and develop their own ‘Summer Ale’ applying their newly acquired knowledge, but they also outlined their own marketing concept. After the final, a tasting of the self-brewed beer proved that not only the project, but also the beer itself was quite convincing.
Film: Drang Agency
Source: Wissensregion Düsseldorf e. V. (knowledge region of Düsseldorf)
