Ch@nge Ruhr

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the Ruhr region currently have to cope with high demands of flexibility and digital transformation: How can this transformation take place in a way that is both economically and labor- and employee-oriented? How can company transformation and design competence be strengthened in the long term? These are the questions addressed by "Ch@nge Ruhr," a cooperative project of the Institute for Work and Technology (Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, project coordination) in Gelsenkirchen, the Institute for Work and Qualification (University of Duisburg-Essen), the Social Research Center Dortmund, and the Joint RUB/IG Metall Center and Chair for Production Systems (Ruhr University Bochum).

The aim is to bundle the regional expertise of labor research, consulting and company practice in a future hub and to apply it exemplarily in the sectors of industry/production, logistics and health. In an activation and concretization phase at the beginning of the project, company support needs are identified and industry-specific multipliers are approached for participation. In the implementation and evaluation phase, dialog forums are initiated, successful applications of digital technologies are made tangible through learning journeys, and findings are processed for process consulting. In combination with the scientific expertise of the project partners, the practical work of the multipliers and consultants as well as the funding experiences, hints for good and social partnership consulting concepts will be developed. By communicating exemplary company "transfer stories", a contribution is made to opening up new perspectives for SMEs in the region through digital transformation.

• Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) in Gelsenkirchen (project coordination)
• Social Research Center Dortmund
• Institute for Work and Qualification (IAQ) | Duisburg
• Joint RUB/IG Metall working group
• Chair of Production Systems at the Ruhr University Bochum

The aim of the project is to sustainably strengthen the transformation and design skills of companies in the Ruhr region in the digital transformation.

• Identification and preparation of operational implementation, participation and transfer concepts - Practice projects
• Exchange of experience and knowledge transfer Guidance for good consulting practice - Ch@nge consulting
• Learning trips/work labs to communicate work-oriented digitization strategies and tools - Ch@nge knowledge
• Preparation, bundling and communication of company success stories - Ch@nge Success

Click here for the project homepage Ch@nge Ruhr