The Ruhr area is still sometimes underestimated as a start-up region from the outside. But those who, when r26 who visited the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum experienced the exact opposite: Technology-oriented companies are founded here, new solutions are developed here, and there is a network here that is regionally connected and at the same time thinks far beyond city limits.

The r26 FestivalIt almost felt a bit like a reunion for the Ruhr area ecosystem: familiar faces, new contacts, lots of conversations, and the question everywhere of how we can collectively drive innovation in the region forward.

In the health sector especially, innovation doesn't happen in isolation. Good ideas need appropriate infrastructure, application partners, regulatory expertise, capital, startup support, and a network that brings the right people together. This is precisely where the Health Founders Ruhr Meetup and with the Special Breakfast Edition on the r26 This time, the bot has a special framework: festival atmosphere, open networking, short distances, and lots of discussions about how to further develop health innovation in the Ruhr region together.

It was also particularly lovely to see how many stakeholders from Dortmund and our wider network were present: start-ups and founders from the innoclub and the Greenhouse Ruhr as well as the Dortmund Economic Development Agency, the Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Ruhr Business Metropolis and many more.

The r26 once again demonstrated: The Ruhr region has nothing to be ashamed of as a start-up location. Companies with substance, technology, and regional ties are emerging here, and it is precisely this mix that makes the location so exciting.

We are taking many impulses back with us to Dortmund and are looking forward to strengthening the start-up community in the Ruhr region together.