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With the establishment of the Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD), another milestone for the investigation of wind turbines was set in Aachen. The center is equipped with an innovative 4MW system test rig. With this, RWTH intensifies its efforts to research on-shore wind turbines.

Das E.ON ERC ist Teil des Clusters Nachhaltige Energie (Sustainable Energy), welches als eines der sechs ersten RWTH CAMPUS Cluster ins Leben gerufen wurde und von Prof. De Doncker geleitet wird. Ziele des E.ON ERC im RWTH Cluster Nachhaltige Energie sind die Steigerung der Energieeffizienz sowie die Umstellung auf eine nachhaltige Energieerzeugung.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Management (IPT) develops one-stop system solutions for manufacturing companies. The institute focuses on process technology, production machinery, mechatronics, production quality and metrology, and technology management.

The Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Trade at RWTH Aachen University is Europe's leading research and training institute in the field of plastics technology. The IKV is an innovation driver and research partner for the plastics industry. Extensive knowledge and many years of experience in all areas of plastics technology give the IKV a unique position in Germany.

The Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University is associated with the Chair of Textile Technology in Mechanical Engineering and is headed by Professor Thomas Gries. The ITA is part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH and represents the textile-related teaching contents of the field of study "Plastics and Textile Technology in various bachelor's and master's degree programs in Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.

The Machine Tool Laboratory (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University works in the field of innovative production technology. With more than 500 employees, the WZL covers the following research areas: Cluster of Excellence, Assembly Technology, Machine Tools, Gear Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Production Metrology and Quality Management and Production Systematics.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Management (IPT) develops one-stop system solutions for manufacturing companies. The institute focuses on process technology, production machinery, mechatronics, production quality and metrology, and technology management.

The Machine Tool Laboratory (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University works in the field of innovative production technology. With more than 500 employees, the WZL covers the following research areas: Cluster of Excellence, Assembly Technology, Machine Tools, Gear Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Production Metrology and Quality Management and Production Systematics.

FIR Aachen GmbH is a cross-industry consulting institution that exchanges information intensively with leading research institutions, such as the Research Institute for Rationalization at RWTH Aachen University. FIR Aachen GmbH provides solution-oriented consulting in the areas of service management, information management and production management.

In contrast to many other consulting companies, we directly access studies and market analyses from research and prepare them for industry and operations. For over 15 years, we have thus continuously expanded our knowledge and our consulting services.

Today, FIR Aachen GmbH is regarded, among other things, as an expert for the entire business organization, starting with the design and optimization of production and supply chains, through the development and professionalization of innovative services, to the design and optimization of information flows and technologies inside and outside companies. Through intensive exchange with neutral research institutions, our concepts are vendor-neutral and correspond to current requirements and trends in the industry.

Bringing innovations to market faster

The state government aims to make North Rhine-Westphalia a state of growing economies and high quality of life. Clusters play a special role in this, as they bring innovations to market more quickly by focusing know-how and experience spatially and thematically. The cluster policy of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia promotes the cooperation of companies, research institutions and the public sector along value chains in a total of 16 industry and technology fields.

The FIR supports the strategy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia by giving priority to research projects that stem from the range of topics covered by the Excellence NRW Initiative. The results of the projects are also preferably implemented in small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, thus benefiting the state.

The clusters supported by the FIR include:

• Automotive - vehicle construction and suppliers (Autocluster.NRW)
• Health economy and application-oriented medical technologies (CGW.NRW)
• Energy industry and application-oriented energy technology (Energieregion.NRW)
• Information and communication technology (IKT.NRW)
• Logistics - access to the active NRW logistics community (Logistik.NRW)
  Mechanical engineering/production technology (Produktion.NRW)
  
   

Autocluster.NRW
Automotive - vehicle construction and suppliers

As a major driver of innovation, the automotive industry / automobile industry in NRW has the task of being an impulse generator and motor for innovations in many other economic sectors. AutoCluster.NRW sees itself as an information and communication hub for innovations in automotive technology.

It bundles competencies, networks partners in the automotive value chain and in neighboring clusters, connects industry and science, and provides impetus in business and politics through its participation in committees.

CGW.NRW
Healthcare industry and application-oriented medical technologies

With more than one million employees, the healthcare industry is by far the largest sector in North Rhine-Westphalia. Due to the high growth dynamics, an increase of around 200,000 jobs can be expected in North Rhine-Westphalia in the coming years.

The Healthcare Industry Cluster North Rhine-Westphalia links cluster development in the six healthcare regions of Aachen, Cologne/Bonn, Münsterland, East Westphalia-Lippe, South Westphalia and Metropole Ruhr (as of 10/2010) with cluster development in future fields of the healthcare industry, such as medical technology and the hospital of the future, telemedicine and work and qualification. The focus is on expanding and strengthening the networking of local and regional healthcare players as innovation drivers for the sector.
 

Energieregion.NRW
Energy industry and application-oriented energy technology

The energy policy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is oriented toward the goals of economic efficiency, security of supply, and environmental and climate compatibility.

The main task of EnergyRegion.NRW is to network the players in the energy sector along the entire value chain. North Rhine-Westphalia is to remain the most important energy region in Europe in the future. The aim is to further strengthen the national and international positioning of the region and the competence and excellence of the energy sector. The aim is to remain the No. 1 energy state in the future and to make NRW more visible internationally as an excellent energy location.

IKT.NRW
Information and communications technology

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are a supporting pillar and the most important productivity and growth driver of the North Rhine-Westphalian economy. The IKT.NRW cluster sees itself as an information and communication hub for all players in the ICT growth sector. IKT.NRW networks the partners who work in the various ICT fields or who use cross-sectional technologies in their fields of application and is committed to actively promoting innovation processes.

The FIR currently enriches the cluster activities with the projects:

eStep Mittelstand
GradeIT
Sense&React
 

Logistik.NRW
Logistics - Access to the active NRW logistics community

For North Rhine-Westphalia as the most important economic and transport state in Germany, efficient logistics is both an internationally outstanding trademark and the economic basis of its own economic strength. The core objective of the cluster activities is to bundle all the forces in the logistics industry in NRW and to further develop NRW into the No. 1 logistics location in Europe.

The FIR currently enriches the cluster activities with the projects:

Sense&React
Smart-Logistic-Grids

Produktion.NRW
Mechanical Engineering/Production Technology

In North Rhine-Westphalia, mechanical engineering is the largest industrial employer in the state with more than 190,000 employees and shapes the innovation scene like hardly any other sector. As a supporting pillar of the North Rhine-Westphalian economy and a driver of innovation, mechanical engineering and production technology are to become even stronger through the cluster. ProduktionNRW links companies, institutions and networks along the value chain and contributes to the realization of the vision "NRW - Innovation State Number 1".

The FIR currently enriches the cluster activities with the projects:

Eco2Production
Graduiertenkolleg Anlaufmanagement
ProSense
SESI