Millions in Grants for Siegen's AI Research Project

The Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia is supporting industrial transformation in South Westphalia. 3.75 million euros have been pledged for the ‘Cyber Production Management Lab’ research project, which is exploring an innovative approach to the holistic use of artificial intelligence (AI) in production.

Digital transformation and the demand for production processes with a small resource and climate footprint are presenting major challenges for today's manufacturing firms. Artificial Intelligence can make an important contribution to preparing industrial firms for the future. At the university's Buschhütten Campus in Kreuztal, a development and experimentation space is being created with the help of the state government to find tailored solutions for education, science, and commerce: the Cyber Production Management Lab. Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Mona Neubaur ceremoniously delivered grant documents for 3.75 million euros to a consortium comprising the University of Siegen, RWTH Aachen and the private firms Achenbach Buschhütten, Heuel & Löher, Innofarming and SDFS Smarte Demonstrationsfabrik Siegen.

For Neubaur, “production processes with a smaller resource and climate footprint are an important part of the path to climate neutrality. Reducing CO2 emissions, working on the recycling principle, and increasing energy and resource efficiency in production are all ways to boost not just ecological, but also economical sustainability, secure jobs, and support South Westphalia as a key industrial location. Digitization of production and artificial intelligence can make an important contribution to a more sustainable and low-emission industry. I'm very pleased to be supporting the Cyber Production Management Lab, which will serve as a powerful hub for digitization by companies and for training or re-training highly qualified employees.“

The research project is positioned at the University of Siegen as part of the teaching chair for International Production Engineering and Management (IPEM). One of its core missions is to bring a holistic approach to the deployment of AI in production. “Together with a qualified project team of scientists, academics, and industrial players, the teaching chair is working on current and future fundamental challenges in industrial production,” says Project Director Prof. Peter Burggräf.

The consortium intends to determine which process steps can benefit most from AI, and then to apply that knowledge in real production work at the demo factory at the Buschhütten campus. The production scenarios are divided into for thematic units, known as micro labs. Each is dedicated to current and future trends from the industrial fields of metal processing, additive production, intralogistics, and foodstuff production. “We're looking forward to applying this funding to developing sustainable, long-term solutions for integrating artificial intelligence into real production operations,” says Prof. Burggräf.

With a focus on cyber production management, the teaching chair has focused since its founding on the use and easier implementation of artificial intelligence in production, not least through its working production facility that allows for research topics to be put to practical test. As a liaison between industry and research in South Westphalia, it represents the ideal environment for the Cyber Production Management Lab, which addresses a wide range of research topics of current and future trends in mutual dialog with business and industry.

The researchers see a variety of topics applying pressure on manufacturing firms, including the ever more rapid progress of technology, demographic change, and demands to cut CO2 emissions. To manage these issues, production, logistics, and organizational processes must be designed in resource-efficient and recycling-friendly ways that incorporate the latest technology. Beyond the establishment of suitable digital infrastructure, these include above all else the integration of AI and the new 5G cellular standard into domestic production. Only with the help of AI and the transfer of large volumes of data in real time can solutions be found for increasingly complex tasks such as collaboration between humans and robots in industry 4.0 and communication between vehicles and traffic systems for autonomous vehicles. “Staying on top of international trends and remaining technology leaders demands early and intensive consideration of these topics for NRW as an industrial hub,” Prof. Burggräf explains.

“While much effort has been spent on improving and testing algorithms, there is a lack in many areas of an integrative, comprehensive look at the potential introduction of AI into production operations,” says Fabian Steinberg, Managing Director of SDFS Smarte Demonstrationsfabrik Siegen. The approach at Cyber Production Management Labs highlights comprehensive links based on real application cases. The lab provides a complete production environment including production scenarios that are linked across technological fields, demonstrating the everyday feasibility along the entire process chain.

Minster Mona Neubaur presenting the grant documents in Düsseldorf. Pictured (from left): Axel Barten and Dr. Gabriele Barten (Achenbach Buschhütten), Mona Neubaur (Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia), Prof. Peter Burggräf (University of Siegen), and Fabian Steinberg (Smarte Demonstrationsfabrik Siegen). Photo: MWIKE NRW