East Westphalia-Lippe region

East Westphalia-Lippe region: The home of smart manufacturing

East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL) is coterminous with NRW's northeastern administrative district of Detmold. Over two million people live in the six districts of Gütersloh, Herford, Höxter, Lippe, Minden-Lübbecke and Paderborn, as well as the independent city of Bielefeld.

The economic and cultural region surrounding the major cities of Bielefeld and Paderborn is characterized by a strong economy and a highly attractive cultural landscape. A balanced mix of industries includes mechanical engineering, the furniture industry, metal processing and the electrical industry, the food industry, the textile and clothing industry, the healthcare sector, and the plastics processing industry. Over one million people are employed in approximately 150,000 companies. Companies such as Bertelsmann, Dr. Oetker, Melitta, Miele, Claas, Schüco and Wincor Nixdorf are firmly established here.

Global market leaders and SMEs: Smart systems from OWL

Universities and universities of applied sciences provide important impetus for research and development in the region. Around 65,000 young people from all disciplines are studying at 13 institutions of higher education in East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL).

Numerous companies in the region have joined forces in industry initiatives. With the technology network it's OWL – Intelligent Technical Systems East Westphalia-Lippe, a leading-edge cluster recognized by the German Federal Government, the region positions itself nationwide as a top implementer of Industry 4.0 and possesses proven expertise in the field of intelligent technical systems.

The region surrounding the Teutoburg Forest in East Westphalia-Lippe presents itself as an attractive holiday and leisure destination. Known as the 'healing garden of Germany', it's the perfect place to improve your health and well-being.

OstWestfalenLippe GmbH (OWL) is the regional development and marketing company for East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL) and is considered one of the pioneering forces in regional development initiatives. As an association of the districts and the independent city, as well as businesses and academia in OWL, it has been working for over 20 years to ensure the region's competitiveness in the international arena and to contribute to securing the future of the economic and cultural landscape. OWL GmbH's diverse areas of activity include regional marketing, regional development, the OWL Cultural Office, Teutoburg Forest Tourism, the OWL Regional Agency, and the OWL Women and Careers Competence Center.

In East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL), business and science join forces with politics and administration to achieve more together. This aligns perfectly with the slogan "One region. One word."

East Westphalia-Lippe overview

Innovation and startups in the East Westphalia-Lippe region

The content was compiled with the kind support of NRW.innovativ.

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