HOCHSCHULE RHEIN-WAAL-HSRW RHINE-WAAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Their core work

Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences is a German university located in Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia, near the Dutch border) with a strong applied research profile bridging science, society, and responsible innovation. Their H2020 portfolio centers on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), public engagement with science, and translating academic knowledge into societal practice. They also contribute to biomedical engineering (osteochondral scaffolds, stem cell research), water technology, and agricultural knowledge platforms. As a university of applied sciences, their strength lies in connecting research to real-world implementation and multi-actor collaboration.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

HSRW's early H2020 work (2015–2018) was firmly rooted in governance, public engagement, and the Science with and for Society agenda — they even coordinated NUCLEUS, their largest project by far, on university-society communication. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted noticeably toward applied domains: climate adaptation, open access, institutional change, gender equality, and practical tools like living labs and knowledge platforms. The biomedical and navigation projects (iP-OSTEO, iNavigate) represent a newer branch into technical research excellence through international staff exchanges.

HSRW is moving from theorizing about responsible innovation toward implementing it in concrete domains like climate, agriculture, and institutional reform — making them increasingly relevant for projects that need societal impact design.

How they like to work

HSRW predominantly joins consortia as a participant (8 of 9 projects), contributing specialized expertise rather than leading large initiatives — though their one coordination role (NUCLEUS, EUR 1.47M) shows they can manage substantial projects. With 149 unique partners across 35 countries, they operate in broad, diverse consortia rather than repeating partnerships. Their heavy use of CSA (Coordination and Support Action) funding schemes suggests they are valued for networking, knowledge exchange, and bridging research with practice rather than for lab-based technical output.

HSRW has built an unusually wide network for a mid-sized university of applied sciences: 149 unique partners across 35 countries, reflecting their focus on globally networked RRI initiatives and international staff exchange programs (MSCA-RISE). Their border location near the Netherlands likely supports strong cross-border collaboration.

What sets them apart

HSRW occupies a distinctive niche as a university of applied sciences that specializes in the design and implementation of responsible innovation practices — not just studying RRI in theory but embedding it in institutions and territories. Their cross-border location in Kleve gives them a natural Dutch-German collaboration axis. For consortium builders, HSRW brings the ability to handle societal impact work packages, public engagement design, and institutional change processes — skills that many technically-focused partners lack but that EU evaluators increasingly demand.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NUCLEUS
  Their only coordinated project and by far the largest (EUR 1.47M, 60% of total funding), focused on transforming university-society communication across Europe.
• iNavigate
  Their second-largest funding (EUR 377K) and a departure from their RRI core — brain-inspired navigation technologies via MSCA-RISE international exchange, running until 2025.
• TeRRIFICA
  Combines their RRI expertise with climate adaptation through living labs and co-creation methods — represents the applied turn in their research profile.