The Institute of Management was represented at the RLP NEXT Innovation Congress 2025 in Mainz both as an exhibitor and with a keynote speech. The congress took place on 6 October 2025 in Hall 45 in Mainz and was organized by the Rhineland-Palatinate Innovation Agency.
The event offered a diverse program of keynotes, panels, masterclasses, networking opportunities and an innovation fair with exhibitor stands. Thematically, the focus was on four key areas:
- AI, Data & Robotics,
- circular economy & energy,
- Start-ups & SMEs,
- Innovation Lab & innovation transfer.
Around 500 participants from business, science, administration and politics came together to discuss current developments and future strategies for the innovation landscape in Rhineland-Palatinate.
In focus: Sustainable innovation management
The focus of the Institute for Management & Innovation's contribution was the presentation on the "Sustainable Innovation Management" project funded by the Ministry.
This project has developed a web portal that presents best practice examples from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from various sectors. The aim of the portal is to provide other companies with practical insights into successful approaches to sustainable innovation.
The institute discussed challenges and success factors and showed how the portal supports SMEs in designing and implementing sustainable innovation processes in a targeted manner.
Practical impulse: Ms. Anja Rohr Head of Operational Sustainability, WEPA
The presentation by Ms. Anja Rohr, Head of Operational Sustainability at WEPA, who provided practical insights as a speaker, offered particular added value.
She presented her company's best practices for the production of sustainable hygiene paper from recycled cardboard and showed how the circular economy and innovation can be successfully implemented in production.
The Institute for Management and Innovation draws a consistently positive conclusion: The RLP NEXT Innovation Congress offered an excellent platform for knowledge exchange, networking and inspiration.
The intensive dialog with companies, research institutions and political players made it clear how important sustainable innovation approaches are for the future viability of SMEs.
From November 2025, interested companies can find information on the new web portal for sustainable innovation management, where they can find numerous practical examples and inspiration for their own innovation strategies.
