How is data becoming a new resource? What role will the combination of digitalisation and sustainability play in the future? And how can complex research processes be organised in a way that conserves resources? These questions are at the centre of the fifth lecture series of the Smart Interfaces (SmInt) research project at The Hochschule Niederrhein. The event will take place on 3 December 2025 from 5 p.m. on the Krefeld South Campus, Building J (Room JE17) and will be broadcast online in parallel.
In three specialist presentations, experts will provide insights into current trend topics at the interface of artificial intelligence, digitalisation and sustainable research. Prof Dr Fatih Gedikli (from Ruhr-West University of Applied Sciences) will speak on the topic of "When data becomes more powerful than oil: big data as a new resource in the age of AI". Prof. Dr Monika Eigenstetter (HSNR, Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology) will shed light on the topic of "Twin Transition: Thinking Digitalisation and Sustainability Together" and the lecture by Prof. Dr Andreas Roppertz (HSNR, Faculty of Chemistry) will deal with the topic of "Catalyst Synthesis from the Perspective of Resource Use".
Afterwards, the SmInt team invites you to "Drinks & Talks". Over free drinks and snacks, visitors can talk to the speakers and other experts from different disciplines, discuss new ideas and make contacts between different disciplines.
The Smart Interfaces (SmInt) project aims to establish a sustainable research profile at the HSNR. Ten professors from different faculties are working together to develop new structures for research, qualification and resource management. For example, SmInt is establishing a measurement infrastructure in the development laboratories to continuously and precisely track the resources used in the development processes. "Smart interfaces" stands for "smart contact surfaces". In SmInt, however, the term "contact surface" is understood not only in the technical sense, but also in the interpersonal sense. In interdisciplinary events, scientists should acquire the ability to think and act across disciplines and sensitise themselves to sustainability issues. Events such as the lecture series give students and researchers the opportunity to look at scientific topics from different perspectives and develop them further together. SmInt is supported by the "Profilbildung 2022" funding programme of the state of NRW.
Registration for the lecture series:
Participation is free of charge. Please register via: https: //eveeno.com/big-data+ki-smint-hsnr
