The network

Over 60 companies from the fields of engineering, metalworking and industrial electronics came together in 2007 to form the regional network known as Netzwerk Industrie RuhrOst (NIRO). This organisation uses specific measures and projects to create direct tangible and intangible benefits for its partners. The common goal is to reinforce the competitiveness of its economic location through knowledge-based innovation management at national and international level.

Main activities

Innovation
Exchange and transferring know-how – all members of NIRO should learn and profit from each other. This can lead to a solution for a shortage of qualified personnel, tha launching of new technologies or the optimisation of the production processes.

Human Resources
NIRO supports its member companies with diverse activities for the procurement of qualified staff. The activities cover, among other things, the set up of the first University of Cooperative Education in NRW with courses of mechanical engineering and mechatronics, technical orientation of school students and extending cooperation with universities.

Purchasing
With the help of framework agreements with numerous suppliers. NIRO have secured a diversity of purchasing perks and therefore increased the cost-effectiveness of our member companies. Optimizations in the field of procurement proccesses rounds up the activity list.

Marketing
The network supports ist members with seminars , workshop and research and study groups aimed at the exchange of expertise to distinguish themselves from competitors. Therefore, international contacts and relationships are highly important, which we establish for our member companies at significant trade fairs all over the world.

The technological focus

NIRO supports its members in developing and introducing innovative processes in the fields of product development, production, procurement and human resources. In the production segment, the partners interact with one another on the subject of the integrated production systems in place in the respective corporate cultures. A comprehensive audit of low-waste production and a cooperative learning culture enable rapid progress to be achieved here, resulting in even more efficient production.

Joint product development processes in engineering and production technology are promoted via a product development benchmark. In addition, NIRO companies cooperate on numerous research projects. These include developing a robot system to assist in welding tasks for piping and frame constructions, devising a cost-optimised production and stockpiling strategy following the cessation of production, and making production processes more flexible.

Highlights

Within the membership structure of NIRO each company stands for itself, without the need to vie with competitors. This creates an atmosphere of trust which enables the creation of new value-added chains in the fields of production and engineering, as well as the introduction of new solutions in product development. The basis for all actions is the exchange and forwarding of knowledge, perfected through an internal member knowledge database and moderated working groups.

Successful activities to date include establishing the first university of cooperative education in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the subjects of Engineering, Mechatronics, Trade and Logistics, collaborating with Technische Universität Dortmund, and supporting projects aimed at qualifying young talent and career choice orientation. The latter also includes sponsoring the student motor sport team at TU Dortmund and supporting the "Technology Perspectives" network and the "Future Through Innovation" centre.

Tangible material benefits are derived from joint purchasing, for example of electricity, office supplies or tools. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular benefit from guaranteed net prices and modern instruments such as approval processes, budgeting and an optional linkup with the ERP.