Flagship Projects in Research

The AI Workshop for SMEs at Aalen University is an EU-funded flagship project to strengthen the regional economy through the use of artificial intelligence, which supports SMEs and start-ups in their digital transformation. Through close cooperation in the research projects, it provides methods, technologies and business models for future fields such as digitalization, energy efficiency and mobility. The KI-Werkstatt Mittelstand also supports SMEs in setting up their own AI infrastructures and increases the innovation and competitiveness of companies in the region through transfer offers. The AI workshop is funded by the EU-funded ERDF program, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Aalen and the Ostalbkreis district.

The AI Booster is a doctoral program dedicated to researching new methods of artificial intelligence, in particular with the integration of physical knowledge. It is part of the AI workshop for SMEs and focuses on application-oriented solutions to enable precise predictions in data analysis in manufacturing processes, even with limited amounts of data. The AI Booster is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Aalen and the Ostalbkreis district.

The aim of the CZS Center for Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency through Additive Manufacturing Technologies (KRAFt) is to obtain high-quality primary materials and to design the entire process chain in additive manufacturing in a resource-efficient manner. In addition to optimizing ecological and economic parameters, the people involved in the centre carry out comprehensive life cycle analyses. The aim is to demonstrate and visualize the extent to which the integrated use of secondary materials contributes to reducing the use of primary raw materials.

As part of the project RePAIR Laboratory, a modern remanufacturing laboratory is being created to research innovative approaches to the remanufacturing and sustainable use of technical products. The laboratory offers students and researchers a practical environment in which to develop new procedures, digital technologies and AI-supported processes. RePAIR strengthens Aalen University's expertise in the field of Circular Economy and sets an important example for resource-saving production and sustainable industrial applications. The project is funded as part of the new Research Space Qualification funding measure of the federal-state program "Research at Universities of Applied Sciences".

SmartPro stands for "Smart materials and intelligent production technologies for energy-efficient products of the future". The focus is on joint research and transfer activities with contributions to climate protection through resource and energy efficiency in close cooperation with more than 60 partners – mostly regional SMEs, but also other players from science, innovation and society. The project was part of the BMBF-funded program "Strong Universities of Applied Sciences – Impulse for the Region (FH-Impuls)".