University Alliance Ruhr

In 2019, the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) defined an additional competence field following “Metropolitan Research”: “Energy – System – Transformation” (EST). Scientists in more than 70 groups are combining their expertise to investigate the energy system with regard to the use of renewable energies using interdisciplinary approaches. On the UDE side, Prof. Dr. Jutta Geldermann and Prof. Dr. Klaus Görner (both Faculty of Engineering) and Prof. Dr. Christoph Weber (Faculty of Economics) are particularly involved. This forward-looking topic is considered from the points of view of supply security, environmental compatibility, economic efficiency and acceptance. Not only are the three universities involved, but also the Gas and Heating Institute Essen (GWI), the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center (ZBT) and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology (IUTA), the Fraunhofer Institutes in Dortmund and Oberhausen and the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (RWI).

A further UA Ruhr professorship was established at the TU Dortmund University last year: Dr. Manfred Bayer, Professor of Experimental Physics, is already the sixth Ruhr region Professor to be sponsored by MERCUR.

In 2019, 14 early career researchers from the UDE were accepted into the sixth year of the Global Young Faculty. Within this regional network, initiated and supported by MERCUR, outstanding young researchers and junior executives from the business world work together on socially-relevant topics.