From Business- & Technology-Cases to Technology Platforms
To carry out research are often practical applications required. We work with leading companies in Europe that support individual research projects.
The industrial relevance of the research work is demonstrated by the numerous industrial cooperations with well-known companies from different fields of production established within the first phase of the CoE. The industry partners provide staff, important information and material or machine tools, to test and evaluate the scientific results in the industrial context. Now, by the end of July 2011, in addition to the research institutes outside of RWTH Aachen University, 28 companies are part of the CoE as business and technology case (B&T case) partners.The business and technology cases have turned out to be a successful measure for generating new scientific and industrial projects, which were initially funded within the scope of the CoE and evolved further outside the CoE
The B&T-Cases are further enhanced in the proposed second phase of the CoE, being a vital part of the sustainability strategy of the CoE and RWTH Aachen University. A shift will be conducted from single-case, single-company limited cooperation with industry to multi-case, multi-company sustainable cooperation at the site of RWTH Aachen University to enable reproducible demonstration. To realise this shift, the CoE will implement so-called technology platforms.
Together, CoE-members and companies demonstrate the results of the CoE on interconnected business cases within each platform. Hence in the second funding period business cases will no longer be pursued on an individual basis. To identify the relevant technologies and capabilities for the definition of the technology platforms, two sources of information were brought together:
· Results of the technology roadmapping conducted within the CoE in the first funding period
· Interviews with all experts of the Industrial Advisory Board
The intermediate result of the transformation process is that seven recognised technology platforms have crystallised. They are all interdisciplinary and integrate the Research Areas of the CoE.
RWTH Aachen University provides excellent conditions for implementing new structures and lasting cooperation with industry on site. By establishing a new, extensive research park (RWTH Aachen Campus), an 800,000 mē extension site will see the development of up to 19 research clusters, complete with science facilities, office buildings, and integrated support spaces. This major expansion of the university is not only expected to create about 10,000 jobs in the process, but also to bring collaboration with industry onto a new level.
Apart from hosting thematic research networks, RWTH Aachen Campus will provide up to 250 national and international high-tech companies with the opportunity to establish R&D subsidiaries on campus and participate in the university's research and educational activities on a long term basis. In this way, the scope of collaboration between business, industry and academia can be significantly enhanced. The technology platforms will therefore be implemented on RWTH Aachen Campus
Contact
Susanne Aghassi
Frauenhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT)
Steinbachstr. 17, D-52074 Aachen
Phone: +49 (0)241 8904-449 Fax: +49 (0)241 8904-6449
susanne.aghassi@ipt.rwth-aachen.de
Toni Drescher
Frauenhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT)
Steinbachstr. 17, D-52074 Aachen
Phone: +49 (0)241 8904-250 Fax: +49 (0)241 8904-6250
toni.drescher@ipt.rwth-aachen.de
Coordinator
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher
Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)
Chair of Machine Tools
Steinbachstr. 19, D-52074 Aachen
Phone: +49 (0)241 80-27407 Fax: +49 (0)241 80-22293
c.brecher@wzl.rwth-aachen.de
