Factory33 in East Westphalia-Lippe

New innovation center strengthens industrial start-up strategies in OWL. Public-private partnership brings start-ups, science and industry closer together.

Paderborn, April 24, 2025 - With the opening of Factory33, Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) is getting a new, growth-oriented innovation center that provides startups with targeted support in scaling up during the industrial transformation. The initiative brings together partners from business, science and startup promotion - with the aim of establishing the OWL region as a model location for technology-driven startups in the industrial SME sector.

Strong figures: Start-up successes from the region

Factory33 builds on garage33, which has been active since 2017, and the regional start-up network TecUP, which has supported over 150 start-ups in recent years, mobilized around 80 million euros in capital and created around 1,400 new jobs. The new center will continue along this path - with a particular focus on the scaling phase of technology-driven start-ups.

Industry, universities and start-ups under one roof

The partners include companies such as Miele and GEA as well as Paderborn University, Bielefeld University, OWL University of Applied Sciences and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. The aim is to create an ecosystem that systematically links start-ups from research with industrial users. This should not only promote entrepreneurial growth, but also sustainable value creation in the region.

Infrastructure for DeepTech and industrial applications

The new Startup Campus OWL, including MakerSpace, provides startups with modern infrastructure for hardware and DeepTech developments. The proximity to five universities with over 65,000 students and close networking with regional SMEs will make Factory33 a central location for industrial innovation.

Successful examples and regional strengths

Start-ups such as Unchained Robotics, Cargoboard and assemblean show how scalable companies with an industrial focus can emerge from OWL. The interplay of applied research, practical business relevance and open cooperation is a success factor here.

East Westphalia-Lippe as a model region

OWL is one of the strongest economic regions in Germany: with around 150,000 companies, numerous hidden champions and one million employees, the region is regarded as one of the most important production clusters in Europe. Factory33 aims to exploit this locational advantage and at the same time provide new impetus for start-up activities.

Participation in the EXIST lighthouse competition

Factory33 is currently applying for the EXIST lighthouse competition "Startup Factories" organized by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). The aim is to further expand the existing structures and establish OWL as a role model for other regions - for networked, impact-oriented startup funding in an industrial environment.

Factory33 is a new platform for start-ups in the industrial digital transformation. As a public-private partnership, it brings together research, entrepreneurship and SMEs in a scaling-oriented structure. The platform offers start-up teams access to a strong network, technological infrastructure and entrepreneurial support - with the aim of making an internationally visible contribution to the industrial innovation landscape from OWL.