Five new centers opened

Group photo with the Minister and the center directors: from left Marco Huber, Joachim Seidelmann, Minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Thomas Bauernhansl, Kai Peter Birke, Oliver Refle, Liza Wohlfart, and Uwe Schleinkofer. (Source: Fraunhofer IPA/Photo: Rainer Bez)

On Thursday evening, the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economics, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, together with Professor Thomas Bauernhansl, the head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA, and approximately 150 guests from industry, politics, and research, opened five new centers for innovative transfer research. Cyber-cognitive and cyber-physical systems, digital battery cells, as well as additive and frugal production are the topics around which innovations for industrial application will be developed in the future.

"The Fraunhofer IPA is the first address when it comes to transferring Industry 4.0 innovations into practice," said the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economics just before she, together with the institute director Professor Bauernhansl, cut the red ribbon. Her department has invested 18.3 million euros in the new centers. On the occasion of this year's summit "Industry 4.0 live" at Fraunhofer IPA last Thursday (November 22, 2018), the successful Application Center for Industry 4.0 was officially transferred to the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC. At the same time, five centers for innovative transfer research were opened. IPA Institute Director Professor Bauernhansl aims to primarily "network companies with the thematically broad research landscape at the Stuttgart site and advance future-relevant research topics."

Center for Cyber Cognitive Intelligence

The Center for Cyber Cognitive Intelligence, headed by Professor Marco Huber, researches and develops intelligent methods and tools for manufacturing personalized products at the costs of mass production. The basis for this is artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0.

Center for Cyber-Physical Systems

Intelligent mechatronic systems are increasingly being developed into cyber-physical systems. The Center for Cyber-Physical Systems, led by Joachim Seidelmann, works on scientific fundamentals on one hand and on implementing corresponding developments and applications on the other.

Center for Digitized Battery Cell Production

Together with VARTA, the Center for Digitized Battery Cell Production, led by Professor Kai Peter Birke, aims to establish the development of highly flexible serial production processes for various battery technologies.

Center for Additive Manufacturing

The Center for Additive Manufacturing is managed by Oliver Refl. It is dedicated to the material- and application-spanning development of additive processes – better known as 3D printing – for industrial applications. The entire additive process chain from CAD data to finished product is the subject of development.

Center for Frugal Products and Production Systems

Exploring cost-sensitive markets in emerging countries and industrial nations with tailored, robust, and user-friendly solutions requires new approaches. The center, jointly led by Uwe Schleinkofer and Liza Wohlfart, researches interdisciplinary and cross-industry methods and processes to support and empower companies with the goal of being (re)successful in growth markets and the European entry and standard segments, and to protect these positions against competitors from the low-price segment.

"The five centers of S-TEC offer numerous cooperation opportunities for industry and thus further increase the visibility of the Stuttgart technology location as a beacon. Through application-oriented research at S-TEC and the resulting technology and knowledge transfer, we sustainably strengthen the innovation capacity of our manufacturing economy in the region, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises," said Dr. Hoffmeister-Kraut.

S-TEC broadens horizons

Since, in addition to Fraunhofer IPA and the IFF of the University of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Fraunhofer Institutes IAO and IGB, as well as a number of other institutes of the University of Stuttgart, are involved in S-TEC, the fields researched by the participating scientists are expanding. Currently, S-TEC consists of the three clusters "Mass Personalization," "Mass Sustainability," and "Business Innovation." More are planned. The architecture of S-TEC is intentionally open. Companies have the opportunity to apply for quick checks, participate in exploring projects and other project formats, and visit one of the various Open Lab Days.