TECH.LAND Cluster Meeting 2025: Crossing Borders to shape the future
On 11 September 2025, our TECH.LAND community gathered at the University of Twente for the annual Cluster Meeting. It was a day full of reflection, inspiration, and future visions – with one clear goal: crossing borders and shaping the future together.
Looking Back: A Year of Milestones
In their opening statements, Hans Brouwers and Melina Freudenthal took us on a journey through some highlights of the past year:
- the growth of our network and the increasing number of projects that demonstrate how strong our cross-border community has become
- a delegation trip to Brussels
- TECH.LAND’s presence at Hannover Messe
- participation in the Cross-Border NRW.innovativ Summit
- the TECH.LAND Xpress 🚌 to Enschede Slush’D
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the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the Fraunhofer Research Facility for Battery Cell Production (FFB)
Hans also emphasized that we have successfully completed the first phase of our movement: building up the TECH.LAND network over the past year. Now we are entering the next phase, where we will focus on showing and living our values internationally. This review clearly highlighted how continuity, trust, and commitment form the foundation of our cooperation.
Keynote: Turning Knowledge into Impact
In his inspiring keynote, Jan Leideman (Demcon) underlined the importance of open innovation, trust, and knowledge sharing across borders.
He pointed out that many companies still rely too heavily on in-house development, which limits their potential. His message was clear: “We need open innovation – because together we have more power to create real solutions.”
The key takeaway: It’s not just about research – the real challenge lies in transforming knowledge into impact, industry, and market opportunities.
Cluster Sessions: From Batteries to Circular Economy
A central part of the meeting was the cluster sessions, focusing on five key areas:
🔋 Batteries
🩺 MedTech
🤖 Smart Robotics
⚡ Hydrogen
♻️ Circular Economy
The sessions provided insights into lessons learned, milestones achieved, and new opportunities ahead.
One project in the spotlight was H₂EART, a powerful example of how collaboration in hydrogen innovation can drive the energy transition forward.
One sentence resonated throughout all clusters:
👉 “We cannot work without each other.”
Workshop: Communication as a Driver of Collaboration
Beyond the technical topics, joint visibility was also high on the agenda.
During the Marketing & Communication workshop, we reviewed our past successes and discussed LinkedIn as a B2B platform. But it wasn’t just about tools and channels – we also asked: Which successes and projects should we highlight to showcase the strength of our cooperation?
At TECH.LAND, one thing is clear: we are committed to supporting our partners in putting their innovations and achievements into the spotlight. At the same time, we rely on the active involvement of our partners – because only together can we grow, expand our reach, and show the world the real impact of our cross-border collaboration.
Conclusion: Borders are Opportunities for Growth
The 2025 Cluster Meeting made it clear once again: TECH.LAND thrives on diversity and the power of collaboration.
We are not just a network, but a movement developing solutions for the future across national borders.
Our 2025 Cluster Meeting and the achievements of TECH.LAND have also received public recognition. The Westfälische Nachrichten (page 28, 10 October 2025) highlighted the annual meeting in Enschede, noting the positive progress of cross-border cooperation between Münster, Enschede, and other partners. As the Westfälische Nachrichten put it, TECH.LAND shows how much more can be achieved together than in isolated projects, opening new opportunities for a united and forward-looking Europe.
A big thank you to all partners for your commitment, energy, and ideas. Together, we are bringing our motto to life:
Translating borders into connections.
🖼️ by Sita de Vries
The meeting was made possible by the Interreg program Deutschland-Nederland and its program partners, and it is co-financed by the European Union (EU).
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