Stuttgart, October 04, 2023 - On September 29, 2023, the annual project status day took place at the ARENA2036 research campus in Stuttgart. The special feature this time: the event marks the end of the second of three five-year funding phases of the "Research Campus" funding initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the morning, the four large collaborative projects presented their results in an internal round. In the afternoon, the research campus opened its doors to the so-called ARENA2036-Wasen.

Enjoy the impressions from this year's project status day at the ARENA2036 research campus. Our highlight video, our picture gallery and the articles from Logistik Heute(to the article) and Südwestrundfunk(to the program) offer a great review!

ARENA2036 already has ambitious goals for the third funding phase, which will officially start in January 2024 with four new collaborative projects. There was a lot to see for the almost 300 guests at ARENA2036-Wasen: More than 60 institutes, corporations, start-ups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are now working together at the research campus. This diversity was particularly noticeable in the numerous demonstrators, presentations and activities of the more than 20 exhibiting projects and companies. In addition to the professional exchange, personal contact and an informal atmosphere are always very important at the Project Status Days.

At the heart of the exhibition were the collaborative projects, which are planned, initiated and implemented in close cooperation with the BMBF. They usually bring together an above-average number of project partners and are characterized by particularly visionary and complex content. These types of research projects require an environment that combines know-how and infrastructure with a range of other special framework conditions. ARENA2036 offers precisely such an environment as an innovation platform with its unique ecosystem approach. On the breeding ground of this ecosystem, the "hidden champions", for which Baden-Württemberg in particular is known worldwide, work together in numerous projects. This close, cross-company and cross-industry pooling of expertise and innovative strength is indispensable, especially in the face of international competition.

Welcome to the ARENA2036-Wasen!

In addition to the four joint projects, numerous companies, projects, research institutions and start-ups presented their solutions and experiences from the last few years of research campus work on the public ARENA2036-Wasen. Decorated according to the theme and accompanied by numerous Wasen activities, the store floor awaited guests who were able to stroll around the exhibition and ask the numerous exhibitors questions or work on their first new project ideas.

Peter Froeschle, Managing Director of ARENA2036, draws a positive conclusion:

"The huge interest here today shows that the ARENA2036 principle of 'out of the silo - into the ecosystem' is opening doors, especially in industry and research. It's great to be able to present such impressive results and to see how great the public's interest in our work is."

Particularly pleasing: numerous start-ups also took part in the project status day. Many of the young companies based at the research campus are spin-offs from the University of Stuttgart environment, which benefit in particular from direct contact with larger OEMs and suppliers. ARENA2036 supports start-ups with the Start-up Autobahn, which is part of the global accelerator Plug and Play.

Successful joint projects

The four joint projects FlexCAR, Digital Fingerprint, Fluid Production and Agile Innovation Hub have provided important impetus for the future of mobility and production over the past five years.

 

FlexCAR

The joint FlexCAR project has developed a vehicle platform based on open interfaces. This platform makes it possible to implement innovative mobility concepts quickly and cost-effectively.

The platform consists of three main components:

• The vehicle is a modular vehicle concept that can be equipped with different drive systems and body variants.
• The software is an open platform that enables the development and integration of mobility services.
• The infrastructure includes the necessary interfaces and services for communication between the vehicle and the infrastructure (e.g. 5G technology, external sensors, etc.).

FlexCAR is an important step towards the realization of sustainable and multimodal mobility. The platform offers a flexible basis for the development of new mobility concepts that can be updated and upgraded to meet the needs of people and the environment.

 

Digital fingerprint

The joint project Digital Fingerprint has developed a concept for the further development of components into Industry 4.0 components. This concept is based on the digitalization of the entire life cycle of a component.

The digital fingerprint includes the following data, among others:

• The geometric shape of the component
• The material properties of the component
• The process parameters for manufacturing the component

This data can be used for a variety of applications, e.g. for predictive maintenance, optimizing production processes or developing new products.

The digital fingerprint is an important step towards the digitalization of production. It enables components to be produced and used more efficiently and sustainably.

 

Fluid production

The joint project Fluid Production has developed a human-centered, cyber-physical production concept for automotive production. This concept is based on the networking of people, machines and data.

The aim of Fluid Production is to make production processes in the (automotive) industry more flexible and efficient. The concept is intended to help master the challenges of Industry 4.0, e.g. the increasing individualization of products and the associated need for flexible production systems.

Fluid production is an important step towards the future viability of Germany as an industrial location. The concept offers a flexible and adaptable production system that meets the requirements of changing markets.

 

Agile innovation hub

The Agile Innovation Hub joint project has developed new tools for collaboration. These tools should enable the members of the research campus to work together more quickly and efficiently.

Agile InnovationHub has developed the following tools:

• A digital platform for networking the partners of the research campus
• Methods and tools for the joint development of innovations
• Training and workshops to promote cooperation

The tools of the Agile Innovation Hub are an important contribution to strengthening the innovative power of the ARENA2036 research campus. They should enable the partners of the research campus to jointly develop new solutions for the challenges of the future.

 

Conclusion

The four joint ARENA2036 projects have provided important impetus for the future of mobility and production. The results of these projects are a valuable contribution to the digitalization and sustainability of the German economy.

In the next funding phase, which will begin at the start of 2024, the focus will be on interlinking the new collaborative projects. This will allow the results from the ARENA2036 research campus to be put into practice even more quickly and effectively and interdisciplinary teams to work more closely together.