Competence Centers, Research Groups and Networks

The Research Center for Energy Economics and Energy Law ("Forschungszentrum Energiewirtschaft Energierecht") is an interdisciplinary research center at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences where selected research projects in the fields of energy economics/management and energy law are initiated and carried out. The scientists working at the research center have set themselves the goal of developing and reflecting on concrete problem solutions with direct practical relevance.

The Competence Center for Midwifery Science conducts empirical studies in the contexts of the reproductive phase of life, on the academic qualification of midwives and on professional midwifery. With the help of the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony it will be possible to further develop the state of the art in research and teaching of this relatively young academic discipline in Germany.

The starting point for our Competence Center for Higher Education and Research Management is the Master's program in Higher Education and Research Management (HWM), which was launched almost 20 years ago. The Higher Education and Science Management (MBA) programme has developed into a variety of applied research and, in particular, transfer-related activities with an increasingly international dimension, including the transfer of knowledge to and cooperation with countries in the Global South. In order to bring the many projects and activities together under one roof, the Competence Centre for University and Research Management was founded in 2023.

The Lower Saxony Data Protection Center (NDZ) is an interdisciplinary scientific institution at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Its aim is to develop scientifically sound solutions to problems in the areas of data protection and data security and to make them available for practical use. In addition, the NDZ supports political decision-making by providing expert advice to authorities and legislative bodies.

The central concern of the Sensor-Controlled Diagnostics in Prevention and Rehabilitation Working Group is the implementation of sensor-controlled biomechanical measurement methods in the clinical, user-related context of physiotherapy, sports science and other application scenarios such as the performing arts. Experts from physiotherapy, sports science, biomechanics and medicine work together on an interdisciplinary basis.

The German Network for Quality Development in Nursing (DNQP) is a nationwide association of specialist colleagues in nursing who deal with the topic of quality development. The overarching objective of the DNQP is to promote the quality of care on the basis of practice and expert standards in all areas of care.

The Health Informatics Research Group aims to contribute to the optimization of the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of patient care and the management of health care facilities. It regularly publishes the IT Report Healthcare with current data from the IT landscape of health care facilities in Germany.

The Strategic Care Management and Patient Safety Research Group aims to promote patient safety and quality-orientated care in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. It focuses on the identification and development of competencies that are of central importance for (co-)shaping the safety culture of organisations in terms of high reliability and for strategic patient safety-oriented care management.

The Midwifery Research Group developed under the continuous leadership of Prof. Dr Friederike zu Sayn-Wittgenstein from working on specific issues relating to women- and family-oriented obstetric care in the Health and Social Affairs profile at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

The Health Campus Osnabrück ("Gesundheitscampus Osnabrück") is a joint institution of the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the University of Osnabrück, characterised by the guiding principle of "redesigning healthcare". The aim is to create a place where science, healthcare companies, churches and politics can come together to develop and test innovative healthcare concepts for the region. The Health Campus is run by Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the University of Osnabrück.

The Competence Center for the Healthcare Industry ("Kompetenzzentrum Gesundheitswirtschaft", short GewiNet) is an association with members from all sectors of the healthcare industry: companies, clinics, doctors, universities, local authorities, chambers and associations. The aim of its work is to ensure high-quality healthcare in the Weser-Ems region. In addition to designing and implementing new project ideas, offering qualification measures and organising events, GewiNet focuses on networking stakeholders from the fields of health, nursing and care for mutual benefit.

The Network for Continuity of Care in the Osnabrück Region is a regional pioneer in the field of care transition. Since 2001, the association of hospitals, geriatric care facilities, outpatient care services and the medical aids industry has been working on concepts and solutions for the transfer of relevant information for the further treatment of patients across professional, institutional and sector boundaries.

The "Health & Living" Talent Academy is aimed at different target groups and is to be understood as a platform for qualification as well as methodological and professional exchange in the health and social sciences profile. A building block system makes it possible to develop and qualify the building blocks that are missing in individual personal biographies. The target groups range from master's students and doctoral students to people who already have a doctorate in the above-mentioned subject areas who are still missing a building block to be eligible for appointment at a university of applied sciences.