For three days, students and companies came together at Fachhochschule Dortmund for a Makerthon. The aim was to develop practical solutions for current challenges in the production industry.
The specific tasks were acquired in advance from the In|Die RegionWestfalen network and contributed directly by companies from the region. From February 17 to 19, 2026, the participating students worked in interdisciplinary teams on real challenges from industrial practice and developed innovative concepts for them.
The winning team was the group led by ITB GmbH. The group developed a digital solution for the targeted identification of employees with specific skill profiles and their precise assignment to suitable projects.
To this end, the team programmed its own software that makes skills transparent and intelligently matches project requirements with existing skills. The jury particularly praised the high level of practical relevance and the potential for direct application in day-to-day business. The team received an additional 500 euros in prize money for its achievement. The teams in second and third place received 300 and 200 euros respectively.
Breaking new ground and thinking outside the box
The participating companies also drew a positive conclusion. Jan-Niclas Schöning from Innovative Systems GmbH summed it up: "For us, it was a great opportunity to gain new perspectives on our issues. Sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees - the Makerthon helped us to break out of familiar corporate logics and routines."
Above all, the Makerthon offered students direct access to Business Studies. Participants were able to make valuable contacts with companies, present their ideas to a panel of experts and gain concrete insights into industrial processes and potential.
The innovative format was organized by In|Die RegionWestfalen in cooperation with Fachhochschule Dortmund and NRW.Bank. The Verrocchio Institute structured the process from problem definition and creative methods through to the development of viable business and implementation concepts.