The Technology Centre for Production and Logistics Systems (PULS) at Landshut University of Applied Sciences is helping regional companies to enhance their competitiveness. To this end, the Technology Centre in Dingolfing is setting up an "Intelligent Production Logistics" network of excellence - funded by over €812,000 of EU money. Together with funding from the university and the advisory board companies of the Technology Centre (BMW AG Dingolfing, Dräxlmaier Group, ebm-papst, Kühne&Nagel, Mann+Hummel, SAR Electronic, Schaltbau), the total funding stands at around €1.6 million. Five new research assistants and one administrative assistant will strengthen the local team. The objective of the project is to facilitate better networking between individual companies and, for example, to optimally coordinate production processes with one another. "This makes processes more efficient and shortens process times," summarises Professor Dr. Markus Schneider, who leads the PULS Technology Centre and the new project. "The companies will be better able to work together as a result, and together expand their customer offering." The Technology Centre supports the firms as a logistics expert. And in the centre's own model factory the companies can also familiarise themselves with the latest production logistics technologies.
Promoting exchanges of knowledge and experience between science and industry
"Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular will benefit," says Schneider. "This is because they often lack the funds for extensive in-house research." It is for this reason that the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRD), from which the "Intelligent Production Logistics" centre of excellence project is financed, specifically funds regional technology transfer between Universities and SMEs. From 2014 until 2020 it will make available a total of €48 million.
