The Ruhr Area
Over the past six decades, the Ruhr region has evolved from being Germany’s leading coal and steel industry region into a science hub with over 20 institutions of higher education – more than any other metropolitan area in Europe. The establishment of universities in Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Essen marked the beginning of this extraordinary transformation. Today, they form the backbone of a unique innovation ecosystem, in which universities are closely working together with non-university research institutions, municipalities, companies and a rapidly growing start-up scene. This network not only drives progress within the region but also serves as a real-world laboratory for transformation processes around the globe.
With its 53 cities, the Ruhr region is home to more than five million people, making it the most densely populated region in Germany. Here, the benefits of urban living seamlessly blend with nature, offering parks, forests, lakes, and our namesake river, the Ruhr, which invites everyone to unwind amidst serene landscapes far from the city’s hustle and bustle. Beyond the green trails, the opportunities for leisure activities are virtually limitless. Whether you’re attending sporting events or concerts, enjoying bars and restaurants, or exploring our numerous cultural institutions, the Ruhr region has something for everyone.
Wherever you spend your time, you’ll encounter traces of our rich history as a mining region, which remains visible throughout the landscape. This unique blend of industrial heritage, nature, and art creates unforgettable experiences. Imagine relaxing in recreational areas around an old blast furnace, visiting a museum housed in a former coal mine, or chilling next to a historic winding tower—these are experiences you won’t find just anywhere. In the Ruhr area we know how to reinvent ourselves while staying true to our roots.
Radiant Landmarks
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It looks like a giant roller coaster—only without the fairgrounds around it. And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be: “Tiger and Turtle” is a large sculpture modeled after a roller coaster on the Heinrich-Hildebrand-Höhe in Duisburg-Angerhausen. The accessible artwork by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth was created for the capital of culture “Ruhr 2010“. -
If the sight of the Horizon Observatory on Halde Hoheward reminds you of prehistoric stone circles such as Stonehenge, you are correct. The structure is intended commemorate this and has a similar function: Standing in the lowered center of the observatory, the plateau spreads out like an artificial horizon. You can then observe the sunrise and sunset on important calendar days such as the summer or winter solstice. -
If an ancient Egyptian ever found his way to Bottrop, he would be amazed by the glowing pyramid on the Halde Beckstraße. The “Haldenereignis Emscherblick,” better known as the “Tetraeder,” is an accessible viewing terrace—deliberately designed in the shape of a three-sided pyramid. The artwork was built in 1995 as part of the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition. -
For decades, Dortmund was considered Germany’s number one beer city. The high-rise building on the western edge of the Dortmund city center reminds us of this tradition. It was built in 1926/1927 as the “fermentation and storage cellar” of the Dortmund Union Brewery. For the Capital of Culture Year “Ruhr 2010“, the building with the Brewery’s company logo, visible from afar, was converted into a center for art and creativity. Today, it houses the Hochschuletage, where TU Dortmund University showcases how science, art, and society interact. -
The Halde Rheinelbe in Gelsenkirchen, close to the border with Wattenscheid, is 100 meters high and, like many other slag heaps in the Ruhr area, accessible to the public. Since the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition in the 1990s, the slag heap has been accessible via spiral paths. At the summit stands the "Himmelstreppe" (Stairway to Heaven), a ten-meter-high structure made of heavy concrete blocks that is visible from afar. -
Almost all major cities in the Ruhr region are located along the A40 motorway. On the one hand, this makes it a vibrant lifeline that connects people and places. On the other hand, it is where the still industrial north and the much greener south of the region meet. -
Nowhere is the successful structural transformation of the Ruhr region more palpable than at Mark 51°7, the former Opel car manufacturing site in Bochum. Once employing 20,000 people, the factory’s closure in 2014 cast a shadow of uncertainty over the area. Yet, thanks to the concerted efforts of political and economic stakeholders as well as the Ruhr University Bochum, the site has been reborn as a dynamic hub of innovation.
Pioneering Inventions from the Ruhr Area
Innovation has deep roots in the Ruhr area — a place where groundbreaking ideas have shaped industries and everyday life for centuries. From Mercator’s trailblazing world map to Nobel’s initial ignition and Germany’s first internet connection, innovation from the Ruhr area continues to thrive — driving research, technology and transformation for the world of tomorrow.
In 1569, in the Ruhr city of Duisburg, scholar Gerhard Mercator drew the world anew, creating the first angle accurate map that changed navigation forever. His ingenious and precise projection made it possible to chart straight courses — a breakthrough still guiding ships and airplanes today. More than 450 years later, through GPS and satellite technology Mercator’s invention continues to shape how we navigate our world.
In the 1860s, Dortmund became the birthplace of Alfred Nobel’s spark of innovation. At the Dorstfeld coal mine, the Swedish chemist conducted explosive experiments to make nitroglycerin safer to detonate, leading to a groundbreaking discovery. His breakthrough came with the invention of a reliable method to control detonation, transforming unstable explosive oil into manageable dynamite. From this spark in Dortmund, Nobel’s global legacy was born.
Did you know that the world’s most gentle way to decaffeinate coffee was discovered by accident in Mülheim an der Ruhr? In 1967, at the Max Planck Institute, chemist Kurt Zosel was testing new ways to separate substances when he found that supercritical carbon dioxide could gently remove caffeine without changing the taste or leaving behind any harmful residues. Zosel’s unexpected finding became a global success and is now used worldwide by major producers.
A fortunate coincidence born from scientific curiosity — and another proof that innovation has long been part of everyday life in the Ruhr region.
Since 1984, TU Dortmund University’s H-Bahn has been showcasing the future of mobility as the world’s first driverless railway system – connecting the North and South Campuses as well as linking the university to the nearby technology park. Operating on two lines over four kilometers, it transports more than 1.6 million passengers a year, allowing students and staff to reach university buildings more efficiently and sustainably. The H-Bahn came to Dortmund through a moment of opportunity: Prof. Reinhardt Jünemann recognized the potential of an unused prototype developed by engineering company Siemens and championed bringing the world’s first driverless railway to the campus of TU Dortmund University — where it became a lasting symbol of mobility innovation.
In the heart of the Ruhr area, at TU Dortmund University, Germany’s journey into the digital age began. In the mid 1980s, four computer scientists connected a UNIX computer named unido to Amsterdam through the European UNIX Network (EUnet) — bringing Germany online for the very first time. From this daring experiment grew Germany’s first Internet Service Provider — a startup based in the nearby TechnologieZentrum (TZDO).
A connection launched in Dortmund changed communication forever. In honor of the four Internet pioneers, TU Dortmund has named a street on campus the EUnet Alley after them.
In 1989, Ruhr University Bochum-Electrical Engineering Prof. Wolfgang Weber and Weiqing Tian developed the first autonomous mobile robot, AUROMA (Autonomous Robot for Multiple Applications). Weighing 20 kilograms and being 40 centimeters tall, AUROMA could independently detect obstacles, avoid them, and optimize routes thanks to AI and sensors. This was made possible by three microprocessors, new learning strategies, and AI learning methods. The affordable prototype (less than 2,000 D-Mark) was intended for use as a treasure-hunting device, cleaning machine, or transport system. Weber also envisioned AUROMA as a vacuum cleaner navigating through many living rooms. Today, approximately 40 years later, this vision has become a reality.
Prof. Christoph von der Malsburg significantly contributed to the development of face recognition systems during his time as the head of the Bochum Institute for Neuroinformatics (1990 to 2007). His work on the theory of self-organization of ordered fiber connections in the visual system made him a pioneer in this field. Von der Malsburg is also known for his criticism of the theory of neural networks, which he argues suffers from the binding problem. To solve this, he formulated the Dynamic Link Architecture, a system of quickly switching network fragments applied, for example, in face recognition systems. He himself says about this: “My face recognition was originally intended to convince my colleagues and the world how object recognition in the brain works - by comparing new images with an invariant template.”
Quantum computers could easily break conventional encryption methods. In 2016, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) therefore launched a competition to develop quantum computer-resistant cryptographic methods. Four methods were selected for the final round and will be certified as standards by NIST; three of these were developed by the Bochum-based Cluster of Excellence CASA. The NIST standard is considered one of the most influential documents in IT security. Experience has shown that it is adopted by numerous companies and online services, such as Amazon, PayPal, and Google.
Did you know that the world’s lightest electric bicycle was built in Dortmund? At TU Dortmund University, mechanical engineer Dennis Freiburg created an e bike weighing only 6.872 kg – earning a Guinness World Record in 2019. Using carbon fiber, custom 3D printed parts and a motor from a remote control helicopter, he turned his doctoral project into a masterpiece of engineering. Even the battery hides inside a regular water bottle.
Bringing together creativity, precision and persistence – that’s what defines innovation made in the Ruhr area.
In 2021, the Bochum-Dortmund Cluster of Excellence RESOLV had a special reason to celebrate: RESOLV member Prof. Benjamin List was awarded the Nobel Prize. Together with David MacMillan, the researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim an der Ruhr discovered that small organic molecules – not just enzymes and metals – can also accelerate reactions and steer them in the desired direction. They can furthermore ensure that only one of two enantiomers is produced, a capability that is important for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. List has been a RESOLV researcher from the very beginning; he was already on board when the cluster entered the race in the first Excellence Initiative in 2012.