Cutting-edge research on an industrial scale

The University of Augsburg’s AI research hall “Halle 43” on the Walter Technology Campus to the south of Augsburg is beginning operation after extensive upgrades. “Halle 43 forms the centrepiece of our research and development opportunities in the field of AI in manufacturing. Cross-institutional, cutting-edge research on key technologies in this critical field of the future is already groundbreaking,” explains the president of the University of Augsburg, Prof. Dr Sabine Doering-Manteuffel. Researchers from the fields of engineering, production technology, materials technology, computer science, and applied mathematics are involved in the new research facility, as well as researchers in economics and ethics working on topics surrounding the use of AI. Dr Wolfgang Hübschle from the City of Augsburg underscores the scope of the project: “Halle 43 represents an important space for the region’s economy; it is here that the university will make solutions on an industrial scale visible and tangible. That the AI technologies and production concepts developed at the facility can be directly transferred into application and thereby serve as an inspiring blueprint for other industrial companies is a huge win for Swabia.”

“The future is at home in Halle 43.”

The future is at home in Augsburg emphasised Markus Blume, Bavarian State Minister for Science and the Arts, in his digital greeting. “Fit for the future: Augsburg’s AI research hall is a think tank in the region and for the region. Here, innovative cutting-edge research will be directly translated into concrete applications for industrial manufacturing. From large industrial partners to start-ups and other interested companies, everyone will benefit from the new research hall. Sustainable and ethically justifiable solutions to mega topics such as the sustainable use of resources and cyber security can be developed together with the full support of Bavaria’s Hightech Agenda. The future is at home in Halle 43,” he said, congratulating the opening of the new manufacturing hall.

Diverse possibilities

Halle 43 offers a diverse range of possibilities. “The open hall concept encourages and demands interdisciplinary cooperation in order to make possible an AI revolution in manufacturing,” emphasises Prof. Dr Markus Sause, director of the AI Production Network at the university. The University of Augsburg plans to test and develop its own systems together with companies, conduct research on them, and generate its own production data. Moreover, its own AI education and training team is using Halle 43 as a platform for programmes on education and training in manufacturing, which it is developing and testing together with industry partners. Start-ups, meanwhile, have space to build prototypes and network with industry leaders. The resulting “AI ecosystem” is intended to quickly develop solutions for acute industrial challenges related to reducing the use of energy and resources. At the opening, company interest in the new research facility was high. “We are currently in contact with over 250 companies, about half of which are small or medium-sized companies. We are already working on joint projects with more than 40 companies, and several production facilities have already been made available by companies for research in Halle 43,” says Sause.

A park of networked manufacturing facilities

Halle 43 is designed to be like a park of networked manufacturing facilities, explains Dr Juliane Gottmann, scientific director of the AI Production Network at the University of Augsburg: “Halle 43 already contains numerous manufacturing facilities that enable our research into AI in manufacturing. We have the technical infrastructure for this industrial scale and can collect data from our facilities with the help of various sensors.” The team transfers this data into a central data infrastructure, which enables the networking of facilities. AI is either directly integrated into the facility, or it runs on this central database to record, for example, how well the manufacturing process is running. With a 5G test environment, the University of Augsburg also enables faster integration of newly developed approaches into existing systems. 

The AI Production Network Augsburg is a network composed of the University of Augsburg, the Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, the Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Augsburg, as well as the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Regional industrial partners are also involved. The goal of the network is joint research into AI-based production technologies at the interface of materials, manufacturing technologies, data-based modelling, and digital business models. The project is funded by the Free State of Bavaria to the tune of €92 million as part of Bavaria’s Hightech Agenda Plus.