The Smart Production Lab was opened on March 7, 2018 at FH JOANNEUM Kapfenberg. The teaching and research factory creates an open space for creativity and innovation for digital production. The total investment amounts to 2.7 million euros, of which the city of Kapfenberg funds 1.1 million for the structural infrastructure, well-known industrial partners and sponsors support the Smart Production Lab with around one million euros.
At the opening of the Smart Production Lab, more than 300 people from business, industry and politics were welcomed at FH JOANNEUM in Kapfenberg. Among them also Economics and Science Councilor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, Education Councilor Ursula Lackner and the mayor of the city of Kapfenberg Friedrich scratch. The guests included representatives of the 21 cooperation partners and sponsors such as NTS, Cisco, Hoerbiger, SAP, Pankl Racing Systems and voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl.
The opening ceremony followed the motto of FH JOANNEUM “No theory without practice”: In the Audimax was the Smart Production Lab by Martin Tschandl, Director of the Institute of Industrial Management, Sonja Gögele, Director of the Institute Internet Technologies & Applications and Laboratory Head Associate Professor Barbara Mayer and Professor of IT Security Klaus Gebeshuber. The keynote was given by Roland Sommer, Managing Director of Plattform Industrie 4.0 Austria. And then we came to the practical part: The visitors were guided by experts through the active Smart Production Lab and the IT Security Lab and were able to convince themselves of the innovative strength of the new facility.
Innovation and Jobs
Researching and teaching about the best possible and safe use of data in industry – that’s what the new Smart Production Lab at FH JOANNEUM in Kapfenberg is all about. Especially the vertical and horizontal integration of IT and data as well as their security are in focus. Vertical means from the management system to production, horizontally from the supplier through the own company to customers. In both areas there is still potential for many companies.
In the form of use cases at seven stations and three special labs, this potential is to be counteracted. The stations Service Engineering, Design & Engineering, Purchasing & Supply Management, Production Planning & Logistics, Smart Production, ERP & Reporting as well as Distribution & Materials Management deal with industrial processes. In the FabLab, an open workshop, inventors, inventors, founders, founders and interested parties can implement their ideas using state-of-the-art production processes. The path to the prototype is thus leveled and simplified. The IT Security Lab covers topics around the security of sensitive data, software, networks and industrial control systems – with laboratory infrastructure that enables the most innovative research and teaching. Another special laboratory is the SAP Next-Gen-Lab, which sees itself as a platform for co-innovation to connect universities, researchers, and students with companies and start-ups.
The integration of teaching as well as the transfer of knowledge between industry and higher education institutions within the framework of the new laboratory enable even better training and further education of experts. Through their practice-oriented studies, the students gain a competitive edge on the job market – not only throughout Austria but also internationally. Or they decide to start their own business and are supported by the combined know-how of FH JOANNEUM. Projects supporting the digital transformation of existing companies are also on the agenda for the new Smart Production Lab.
More information, statements and further images can be found here: https://www.fh-joanneum.at/presse/fh-joanneum-eroeffnet-neue-lehr-und-forschungsfabrik-fuer-digitalisierung/
Opening-Event video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Kbx_RnhBs
The University of Applied Sciences Institute can be found at: https://www.fh-joanneum.at/institut/industrial-management/
Report in the daily newspaper “Der Standard”: https://derstandard.at/2000077888939/Smart-Production-LabDigitalisierung-zum-Anfassen?ref=article
Report in the daily newspaper “Kleine Zeitung”: http://www.kleinezeitung.at/steiermark/muerztal/5383971/Kapfenberg_Startschuss-fuer-das-millionenschwere-Labor