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How do scientific findings turn into successful companies, and how can this process be expedited? The BRYCK Startup Alliance, based in Essen, has an ambitious goal: to create one of Europe’s largest deep-tech ecosystems in the Ruhr Metropolis. In an interview with NRW.Global Business, co-founder and Managing Director Christian Lüdtke explains how the alliance supports companies, the role the Ruhr Metropolis plays as a hub for technology-driven startups, and how the funding consortium can drive innovation in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond.

With the planned Production Launch Centre Defence (PLCD), NRW is responding to growing requirements for industrial capacity in the field of security and defense technologies. In the Rheinisches Revier, industrial and research facilities are to be brought together at a single location to accelerate the transfer of new developments into marketable applications. 

With the Center for Vertical Mobility, RWTH Aachen University is establishing a new infrastructure in Aldenhoven for testing vertical air mobility. Tests on drone and air taxi systems will be conducted at the site, opening up new possibilities for mobility solutions in the Rheinisches Revier.

TU Dortmund and FH Dortmund are enhancing their capabilities for complex simulations and data-driven analyses in fields such as materials research, medicine, and AI with the new LiDO4 computing cluster. This marks a targeted expansion of the digital research infrastructure in the Ruhr Metropolis.

Circular approaches are increasingly shaping the planning and renovation of existing buildings in the construction industry. Switzerland is one of the countries that integrated new methods for resource-efficient renovation and construction into planning practices and regulations early on. From June 23 to 25, 2026, NRW.Global Business is offering a trip for companies and economic development agencies from NRW to provide an overview of current approaches in Swiss construction practice. As part of the delegation meeting, various stops in Zurich and Basel are on the agenda, together with a Dutch delegation.

The so-called Middle Corridor is becoming increasingly important for international supply chains as a key trade route between Europe and Asia. Azerbaijan plays a central role as a transit hub on the Caspian Sea, and Kazakhstan is considered an important market for infrastructure and logistics projects along the route. From June 29 to July 3, 2026, NRW.Global Business is therefore organizing a company trip to these two target markets, focusing on intralogistics, port and terminal technology, and traffic and transport infrastructure.

In October 2026, IT security companies from NRW will have the opportunity to showcase their offerings at it-sa in Nuremberg as part of a pavilion organized by NRW.Global Business. The trade show appearance will boost their international visibility and facilitate connections with users from the business sector, public administration, and critical infrastructure.

Decarbonizing the construction industry is one of the biggest challenges of industrial transformation. Since its founding in 2024, Co-reactive, a climate tech startup based in Erkrath with roots at RWTH Aachen University, has developed a solution. Using a chemical mineralization process, the company binds captured carbon dioxide with mineral raw materials or industrial by-products, converting them into a new generation of low-carbon cementitious additives (SCM). The result is CO-SCM, which stores CO₂ permanently while improving concrete's strength and durability. Additionally, this process can be integrated into existing cement and concrete production without requiring a fundamental conversion. Thus, the company meets the growing demand for alternative binders and the increasing climate protection requirements of the construction industry.