City Lab Südwestfalen - Networking of Science and Business at the Chair of Business Informatics

Over the next three years, the Chair of Business Informatics will work together with the Arnsberg Hellweg-Sauerland Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Hagen Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences and about twenty local and regional partners on online and offline strategies for maintaining vibrant city centres in South Westphalia. The project volume is almost 2 million euros, of which about 1.6 million euros are being funded by the state of NRW from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The city centres in South Westphalia are under considerable competitive pressure with visible structural changes due to online competition, demographic change and succession problems. The goal of the City Lab is therefore to increase the attractiveness and the quality of stay for residents, visitors, tourists and professionals who want to move into the city centres of South Westphalia. The focus here is primarily on digitally and economically strengthening city centre-relevant businesses from the retail, gastronomy, retail trade and service sectors.  The TU Dortmund University of Technology contributes to the success of the project with its expertise in the areas of digitalisation, information systems and networking of inner city stakeholders.