Science and

The Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW) at the University of Stuttgart is one of the leading international academic research institutes in the field of control and drive engineering. The ISW conducts interdisciplinary research on future production and automation technologies. The Institute has been an innovative and reliable partner to industry for over 50 years, helping to meet demanding challenges from the initial idea to the final product.

Markus Wnuk is a research associate at the ISW in the field of handling deformable objects using industrial robots. As part of the international research training group “Soft Tissue Robotics” and the SimTech Cluster of Excellence “Data-integrated Simulation Science”, he has already been working for several years on methods for the modelling and camera-based localisation of flexible components. Since mid-2020, he has been actively supporting the IIWH through his scientific supervision in the sub-project “Automated assembly of the wire harness in the vehicle” and the transfer of newly developed methods from research to industrial practice.

The IAT deals with the integrated planning, design and optimisation of innovative products, processes and structures. Taking people, organisation, technology and the environment into account, the institute researches and tests new concepts for technology management, work organisation and design. In the IIWH, the IAT is helping to create future scenarios based on current developments and innovation drivers. This will have an impact on the automotive industry (macro scenarios) and in particular on the wire harness sector (micro scenarios) in order to validate and further focus the topics.

Nikolas Zimmermann has been a research assistant at the IAT since 2011 and has extensive experience working with manufacturing companies from various industries, for example automotive and toolmaking. His main areas of experience are Engineering 4.0, Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing and IT-based engineering support. He is also responsible for the Digital Engineering Lab and the Future Engineering Network, an initiative that brings together manufacturing companies to develop a vision for the engineering of the future. In the IIWH, he has been involved in creating future scenarios taking into account current innovation drivers, developments and external influences.

As a university research institute, the Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics (IFT) at the University of Stuttgart develops forward-looking methodologies, processes, systems and components within the framework of basic and applied research projects. This involves designing innovative methods and solutions at all levels (planning, process, material flow, operating resources) for the realignment of changing production logistics. Processes in product development, manufacturing or logistics are effectively evaluated and optimised using simulations. The institute develops and designs new material flow components for the production logistics of the future, which are then implemented and tested as prototypes.

Mr Manuel Hagg (M. Sc.) is a researcher at the Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics (IFT) at the University of Stuttgart. He has been working for a number of years in the area of material supplies in production and logistics systems and their simulation. Since mid-2021, he has been assisting the IIWH by managing the “Logistics Processes” sub-project, which aims to automate the provision of wire harnesses at the point of installation as far as possible.

OPPENLÄNDER Rechtsanwälte is a business law firm in Stuttgart. Its around 40 lawyers advise domestic and foreign clients as well as the public sector on all matters of commercial law. The focus of the firm’s advisory work is on antitrust law, corporate law/M&A, public law and intellectual property law.

The firm’s industry focus includes the automotive industry, but also public transport and the health, energy and media sectors.

Dr Christoph Wolf is a partner at OPPENLÄNDER Rechtsanwälte. He advises and represents companies in questions and proceedings concerning German and European antitrust law. One of his main areas of practice is advising companies from the automotive industry, e.g. in connection with collaborations (R&D, standardisation, etc.), compliance issues, proceedings before cartel authorities or damage claims. He is a member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht (Antitrust Law Study Group) and author of several specialist publications on antitrust issues. Dr Wolf has been a legal consultant to the Innovation Initiative Wire Harness since its inception in 2019.

contor consulting & engineering GmbH is a management consultancy from Stuttgart whose consulting services focus primarily on the areas of project management, funding projects, process optimisation and supplier management.

Mr Rumpelt holds a degree in business administration and industrial engineering and has many years of experience in the coordination of funding, development and research projects in the automotive industry. Building on this, he and Mr Schnauffer started the first exploratory talks in mid-2019 regarding cooperation between potential partner companies in the field of automotive wire harnesses. After the positive initial feedback, he set up the Innovation Initiative Wire Harness with Mr Schnauffer. Since then, the two together form the Project Office, where the threads regarding the contents of the IIWH anchored in the sub-projects are woven together, the coordination and implementation of appointments takes place and which acts as a contact for the partner companies.