ZDI - Zukunft durch Innovation in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Future through innovation in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Future through Innovation.NRW (zdi.NRW) is a joint community offensive to promote the next generation of scientists, engineers and skilled labour in the scientific-technical area in North Rhine-Westphalia. All activities offered by zdi.NRW are extracurricular and an addition to the curricula at school.

Background:

For the promotion of STEM education and the promotion of young scientists and technicians in North Rhine-Westphalia, the state government of NRW started the community offensive for young STEM students in NRW, short zdi (Zukunft durch Innovation) in 2005. 

After 20 years, zdi.NRW is still the important policy of NRW to promote STEM education and now the local zdi-networks are covering the whole State (one in each district and independent city). The networks have been established bottom-up and are tackling the local needs of schools, companies and higher education. The bottom-up approach is one factor of success and helps reaching each year a high number of youngsters. zdi is working along the entire education chain.

Management and partners

On the operational level, zdi.NRW is managed by the zdi head quarter (zdi-central office). The initiative is supported by three ministries (Science, Education, Economic Affairs), the Ministry of Culture and Science is responsible for the general management. Another important partner is the regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency, which is supporting the local networks financially via a funding programme.

The zdi-central office is a source of advice and assistance for the local networks and school laboratories as well as coordinating the allocation of funding. With over 5,000 partners coming from many different fields of expertise (business, science, schools, politics, fab labs, STEM initiatives and social groups), it is the largest of its kind in Europe. There are now 47 zdi networks and over 100 zdi student laboratories spread across North Rhine Westphalia.

One success factor is the bottom-up approach. zdi pursues the goal of promoting the talents of as many young people as possible and thus contributing to educational equality and permeability in the education system. Many zdi measures are aimed towards supporting trainers, teachers and universities in teaching STEM and to enhance the attractiveness of the STEM fields.

The objectives are:

• To inspire more young people to undertake a university degree or vocational training in a STEM discipline
• To overcome the skills shortage in STEM professions in NRW 
• To introduce young people to and educate them in socially relevant topics at an early stage, such as conservation of resources, climate change, energy supply and the fight against poverty
• To engage more girls and young women for STEM professions 
• To engage more children from the so-called easy-to-ignore-groups

There is the MINT Aktionsplan (STEM action plan) which tackles the challenges in the STEM fields on a national level. As part of a strategic umbrella, the STEM action plan brings together existing BMBF funding measures along the education chain, from kindergarten to university and initial and further training. The BMBF is fostering the development and coordination of extracurricular STEM education with the so-called STEM-Clusters. The STEM action plan wants to bring together the fragmented STEM education actors and to create synergies. The program is much needed and has an impact for the entire community, zdi.NRW is part of it.

Both policy plans are also looking at pursuing the better integration of migrants into the labour force with special parts in the program and indicators which the project participants have to deliver. The same principle applies for girls and women in STEM, which is a large point of focus in zdi.NRW.

The ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) has identified the support of zdi networks as one of their key objectives since increasing STEM activities has been a major goal for the current government. In August 2024, the MKW has released a new directive to strengthen the zdi-work on the local level and to make the structures sustainable. 

Best practices: 

• The zdi-central office organises each year the zdi-robotic-competition, a low-threshold competition for pupils from nine to 16 years. We reach around 1000 pupils each year. For more information see the best practice example. 
• The zdi-central-office is successfully implementing a funding programme for in depth study and career guidance in STEM for young people for 14 years, financed by the Ministry of Culture and Science and the regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency. 
• The zdi-science league is a new competitive element and resembles a sports league with different game days and tasks to tackle. It was started to offer an alternative to regular competition with a knockout system. ,. Young people from 14-20 years from NRW can participate during five different match days, the final results are evaluated by a jury and add points to the team as well. The last match day takes place in presence. It is a great opportunity to work with young people in an out-of-school learning locations over a longer period (eight month). The league systems allows the teams to grow along the way and some teams receive an astonishing learning curve throughout the match days!