„To surmount limits – to drive forward research – to secure net product sustainably” are the central ideas of the Fraunhofer association.
In association with the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz this maxim is to be translated into action by a first project team in the Dreiländereck Germany – Czech Republic – Poland, starting 2010. This project is important for the Euroregion Neisse and will be funded by the Fraunhofer association in the year 2010. As from 2011, the Free State of Saxony will provide altogether € five m as start-up funds for five years. Mr Stanislaw Tillich, prime minister of Saxony, and Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, director of the institute Fraunhofer-IWU (institute for machine tools and forming technology), declared this during the panel discussion in the assembly hall of the University in Görlitz.
Further participants of the panel discussion were Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, president of the Fraunhofer association, Mr Reinhard Jung, chairman of SKODA AUTO a.s. Mladá Boleslav, Prof Piotrs Dudzinski, head of the chair of work machines of the TU Wroclaw (University of Technology), and Prof. Rainer Hampel, vice chancellor of the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz. The research and development is to be concentrated on production technology established in the Dreiländereck. The research team is composed of international members and it is expected to convert innovation into new products and technologies in the fields of resource- and energy-efficient production in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering and electric mobility. This will improve both competitiveness and the possibility of independent research and development of the companies permanently. The existing skills at Wroclaw University of Technology, at Technical University of Liberec and at University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz will be the fundamental principles for scientific dissertations. The combination of practical research and teaching as well as the inclusion of the students in research and development of the companies will play an important role. Since its foundation, the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz orientates itself towards practical research and development in combination with practical pure research. The success of this concept is expressed by € five to six m external funds for research with an interest share in the company of more than 50%. This makes the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz a powerful partner for the Fraunhofer institute. The same goes especially for the already existing cooperation of colleges and universities. Relating to this, Mr Jung, managing director of SKODA AUTO, expressed his particular interest in the extension of “Dual Courses of Study”, as for example Mechatronics, a course of study with a master degree, of the TU Liberec and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz. The panel discussion at August 11th 2009 was an optimistic start for a further successful development of the branches of science in the Euroregion Neisse for a support of an economic development across the borders.
Photo Panel: University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz
Photo Truck: Fraunhofer IWU
