A unique approach that is intended to help support regional structural change and also create secure new jobs in the region in the long term: this is the origin and core of the INGRAIN project (Innovation Alliance for Agricultural Textile Food - from Residual Material to Reusable Material to Nutrient). Together with the business development agency for the Heinsberg district, the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, the ITA and the IMA of RWTH Aachen University, the IfU will in future get to the bottom of the question of how it can be possible to turn residual materials from processing operations in the agricultural, textile and food sectors into valuable materials or nutrients and thus enable a bio-based and regional cycle-oriented sustainable use of resources.