Ruhr Metropolis

The Ruhr region is one of the most important centers of education and research in Europe. Five universities, 17 colleges with a total of 32 locations, and 25 non-university research institutions have contributed to the transformation of the former coal and steel industrial conurbation into an innovative scientific region. Nowhere in Europe is the density of universities as high as in the Ruhr metropolitan area. One in 20 people in the Ruhr area is a student, more than in any other region in Germany.

The corporate landscape in the Ruhr region is characterized by a unique mix of established corporations, dynamic SMEs and creative start-ups. Together with the region's approximately 50 universities and research institutions, they are developing innovative products and applications for the future. In addition, more and more innovative companies are emerging in the university environment, benefiting from a vibrant and creative start-up culture: the TechnologieZentrumDortmund (TZDO) is the largest technology incubator in Germany and one of the largest technology and start-up centers in Europe. In Bochum, an interdisciplinary innovation district is being developed on the site of the former Opel factory, known as MARK 51°7. The UA Ruhr also works together with the RAG Foundation's Essen-based start-up and innovation hub BRYCK. As a member of the Initiativkreis Ruhr, the UA Ruhr is actively working to promote the future viability of the Ruhr area and to strengthen the region as an attractive business location.

With over five million people, the Ruhr region is cosmopolitan and culturally enthusiastic: around 200 museums, 120 theaters, 100 cultural centers and 250 festivals a year make the Ruhr region a vibrant metropolis that attracts more than five million international visitors every year. Essen is home to the world-famous Museum Folkwang and the Philharmonic Hall, while Duisburg boasts the Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park, the Duisburg Theater and the Lehmbruck Museum. In Bochum, the Schauspielhaus and the Musikforum Ruhr offer cultural highlights, while Dortmund boasts the Konzerthaus and the Dortmunder U as a center for art and creativity. Once a year, the "Extraschicht" event stages industrial culture by bringing former industrial plants to life through light installations and art performances, making their historical significance tangible.

The days of grey are over. Today, the Ruhr region is much greener than the cliché would have it: 87 nature reserves, more than 16,000 hectares of forest and countless landscape parks, district parks and city gardens ensure that people can live close to nature. In no other German metropolitan region are the distances to forests, lakes and local recreation areas shorter. 80 percent of the population can reach the nearest green space by bike in less than three and a half minutes. The attractions at the UA Ruhr locations include Lake Baldeney in Essen, the Sechs-Seen-Platte in Duisburg, Lake Kemnader in Bochum and Westfalenpark in Dortmund.