NØRD is a two-day digital conference and trade fair for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, held regularly at the HanseMesse Rostock. It brings together researchers, founders, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the state government to drive digital transformation in the region. In 2026, more than 1,000 participants registered for NØRD, which took place on May 27 and 28.
As part of the diverse program, three panel discussions involving the business information systems team were held:
- “Digital Resilience and Sovereignty: Strategies for a Secure Future” was the topic of a discussion with experts from business, politics, and academia. The panel focused on strategic approaches to strengthening cybersecurity, digital resilience, and technological sovereignty as key prerequisites for a secure future. Panelists included Raimonds Čudars (Latvian Minister for Smart Governance and Regional Development), Marco Anschütz (CIO of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Dr. Maximilian Ahrens (Managing Director of Telekom Digital), Katharina Clausohm (Managing Director of Clausohm-Software GmbH), and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kurt Sandkuhl (Director of the AI Center Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)
- Plans for the Digital Health Campus (DHC) were also presented during a panel discussion. The participants were Prof. Dr. Bernd Krause (Dean and Scientific Director of Rostock University Medical Center), Dr.-Ing. Matthias Unbescheiden (Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research), Minister of Science Bettina Martin, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kurt Sandkuhl (Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering), as well as Dr. Stefanie Köhler and Prof. Dr. Stefan Teipel from the Rostock branch of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). Further information on the DHC can be found here (link to https://www.med.uni-rostock.de/medien/pressemitteilungen/aktuelles/news/planungen-fuer-digitalhealthcampus-an-der-universitaetsmedizin-rostock-vorgestellt)
- “IT as a Basis for Innovation” was the topic of a discussion initiated by Prof. Uwe von Lukas (Head of the Rostock Division at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research), in which Prof. von Lukas was joined by Dr. Carsten Hilgenfeld (Managing Director of JDS GmbH) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kurt Sandkuhl (Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering). Topics discussed included the prerequisites and potential for IT-based innovations, the situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and concrete support options.
Further information on NØRD: https://www.digitalesmv.de/noerd