Combine harvesters that recognize their surroundings. Machines that manufacture different products. Or a dough hook that kneads bread. In the high-tech region Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) around the cities of Bielefeld and Paderborn, business and science work hand in hand. In the “it’s OWL” initiative, more than 170 partners cooperate closely to develop intelligent projects and production systems. Thanks to the network’s research findings and technologies, small and medium-sized companies in the region can remain competitive at a supra-regional level and can create jobs for specialist and managerial staff.