The lease for facility and office space totalling 7.000 m² on the grounds of the WALTER Technology Campus Augsburg was signed by the University of Augsburg as recently as Dec. 28, 2021. This measure is part of the project which is funded with 92 million euros from the Bavarian state government's Hightech Agenda pot. In the future in the south of Augsburg, in the vicinity of the university campus, the latest research results from the University of Augsburg, Fraunhofer IGCV and DLR ZLP Augsburg will be transferred from the laboratory to industrial practice.

Investment for Bavaria's competitiveness 

Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger explains: "This is a great start into 2022 for the high-tech region Augsburg. Artificial intelligence opens up completely new perspectives for our companies and enables new business models. Every euro spent on AI research is an investment in Bavaria's competitiveness. I am convinced: Far-reaching impulses for our economy will come from the new AI Production Network in Augsburg."

Prime example of cross-institutional AI research

Bavaria's Science Minister Bernd Sibler emphasizes: "Artificial intelligence is a crucial field for our future progress. That is why we are investing vigorously in the framework conditions for excellent AI research. Through our Hightech Agenda Bayern and Hightech Agenda Plus alone, around an additional 3.5 billion euros are flowing into key technologies such as AI, among others. In this context the Augsburg AI Production Network is a prime example of cross-institutional AI research and its application. The new facility creates excellent spatial conditions for the researchers. It also enables targeted knowledge transfer of this key future technology to companies and into the Augsburg region." 

Milestone reached

"An important milestone has been reached for Augsburg's AI production network and for the Augsburg region," said a delighted Eva Weber, Mayor of Augsburg. "This opens the way into the world of artificial intelligence for our local companies. The facility enables applied cutting-edge research on a large scale with the close involvement of regional players, who thus remain internationally competitive and use AI for their own benefit. This strengthens Augsburg as a location in the long term. We are excited to see how the AI production network will develop in the coming years and what forward-looking solutions the researchers will develop together with our small and medium-sized companies."

New phase of preparations

Together, the University of Augsburg, Fraunhofer IGCV and DLR ZLP Augsburg are moving into the next phase with their preparations: "The infrastructure of the research facility still has to be prepared for our projects − in the future, pioneering production technologies will be researched on 7.000m² of office and facility space on production facilities of industrial complexity. Artificial intelligence will enable new solutions at crucial points − for example in the area of production and material optimization or in the digitalization and self-organization of manufacturing," explains the President of the University of Augsburg, Prof. Dr. Sabine Doering-Manteuffel.

The signing was preceded by many discussions: "We would like to thank everyone who launched and supported this initiative with us − many players have worked together here. We are looking forward to contributing our expertise and skills in the field of holistic lightweight production," explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kupke, head of DLR ZLP Augsburg. "With the AI Production Network, we have been able to win a lighthouse project that will inspire and advance the entire Technology Campus," says Dr. Ralf Walter, CEO of WALTER Beteiligungen und Immobilien AG.

The AI Production Network Augsburg

Within the alliance consisting of the University of Augsburg, DLR ZLP Augsburg and Fraunhofer IGCV, research projects with the industry will be initiated until 2025 and a technology platform for the successful transfer from basic research to applied research will be established. "In the research network, there are comprehensive competences for the implementation of intelligent, sustainable supply chains, generative production methods and material-adapted design. Material-adaptive production processes and their planning as well as integrated material and component testing are thus made possible. These potentials are now to be used for the specific problems from regional industry in order to jointly develop tailor-made solutions," explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Drechsler, Managing Director of Fraunhofer IGCV.

Further partners

The AI production network is complemented by further joint activities with regional partners such as the Swabian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Swabian Chamber of Crafts, the Bavarian Metal and Electrical Industry Association, the Bavarian Business Association, Bayern Innovativ and Composites United e.V.. An AI steering group was initiated by the city of Augsburg for this purpose, which coordinates the needs of regional industrial companies.