FACHHOCHSCHULE SUEDWESTFALEN

Their core work

Fachhochschule Südwestfalen is a German university of applied sciences based in Iserlohn that specializes in sustainable agriculture, urban food systems, and green infrastructure for post-industrial cities. Their H2020 work focuses on helping new farmers enter agriculture through business model innovation, promoting legume-based farming systems, and designing productive urban green spaces that combine food growing with soil regeneration. They bridge agricultural economics with urban planning, bringing practical applied-research expertise to European consortia working on food system transformation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017-2018) focused squarely on rural agriculture — legume farming systems, new farmer business models, and CAP transition paths. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward urban food systems, green infrastructure, and post-industrial city regeneration. This evolution shows a clear move from traditional agricultural economics into the urban-rural interface, combining food production knowledge with urban planning and citizen engagement.

They are moving toward urban agriculture policy and nature-based solutions for cities — expect future work at the intersection of food systems, urban planning, and citizen participation.

How they like to work

Fachhochschule Südwestfalen participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, suggesting they contribute specialized expertise rather than leading project management. With 105 unique partners across 22 countries in just 5 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia — typical of CSA and IA actions. This makes them a low-risk, experienced partner who knows how to deliver within big European teams without demanding the lead role.

Despite only 5 projects, they have built a remarkably wide network of 105 partners across 22 countries, reflecting their participation in large coordination and innovation actions. Their reach spans most of the EU with no obvious geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

What sets them apart is their rare combination of agricultural economics expertise with urban planning and regeneration — most applied sciences universities focus on one or the other. Their keyword profile shows explicit work on social entrepreneurship and Eastern European contexts, suggesting they can bridge Western technical know-how with transition economy challenges. As a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), their research is inherently practice-oriented, making them a good fit for consortia that need real-world implementation rather than purely academic contributions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• proGIreg
  Their largest project (EUR 741K) on productive green infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration — an unusual and high-impact intersection of urban planning, agriculture, and social enterprise.
• NEWBIE
  Directly addresses the pressing European challenge of generational renewal in farming through new entrant business models and incubator networks.
• FoodE
  Combines citizen science with city-region food system design, reflecting their shift toward participatory urban food research.