autoregion international - Ausgabe 1/2023

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3 Summary Topf und Deckel, Kino und Popcorn, Sommer und Sonne, Saarland und Automobilindustrie: Es gibt Dinge, die gehören einfach zusammen. Kaum eine andere Wirtschaftsbranche prägt unseren Standort so stark wie die Automobilindustrie. Und kaum eine andere Wirtschaftsbranche steht derzeit unter einem so großen Transformationsdruck und vor dem größten Umbruch ihrer Geschichte. Elektromobilität, autonomes Fahren, digitalisierte Fahrzeuge und neue Mobilitätsangebote – das ist nicht mehr nur Zukunftsmusik, sondern teilweise bereits Realität. Jeder Fortschritt bringt aber auch immer wieder neue Herausforderungen mit sich. Und die Automobilindustrie sieht sich zusätzlich mit vielen weiteren Belastungen konfrontiert. Zum Transformationsdruck kommen die Energiekrise, Materialmangel, Inflation und die Folgen der Corona-Pandemie hinzu. Sie verlangen der Branche immer wieder neue Anstrengungen ab … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/v0g1s Image: © Staatskanzlei/Jennifer Weyland Pot and lid, cinema and popcorn, summer and sun, Saarland, and the automotive industry: there are things that simply belong together. Hardly any other economic sector shapes our location as much as the automotive industry. And hardly any other economic sector is currently under such great pressure to transform and facing the greatest upheaval in its history. Electromobility, autonomous driving, digitalised vehicles and new mobility offers – these are no longer just dreams of the future, but in some cases already reality. However, every advance also entails new challenges. And the automotive industry is also confronted with many other burdens. Additional to the pressure to transform, there is the energy crisis, material shortages, inflation, and the consequences of the Corona pandemic. They demand new efforts from the industry again and again. However, transformation and change are always an opportunity. It is in the nature of our country to take advantage of them. With its eventful history, the Saarland has long been a structural change world champion. Structural change can succeed once again if we do not simply let it happen but provide answers to change processes early on. One such response is the transformation fund that we adopted last year. It is the enabler for a decade of lead investments in industry, infrastructure, and innovation. Over the next ten years, we will invest almost 3 billion euros: to acquire and develop land, to pay the state's share of federal funding and to attract new businesses. One such establishment is that of the battery manufacturer SVOLT. With it, we are moving from a standing start into the premier league of electromobility – with all the potential positive secondary effects that this can have for suppliers, for example. We have also set ourselves the goal of leading the way throughout Europe in the field of hydrogen. Several companies, such as Bosch and Hydac, have already successfully invested in hydrogen technologies and electromobility. Together with our neighbours in the Greater Region, important projects have been initiated within the framework of the IPCEI programme to build up the infrastructure for hydrogen. The transformation offers the actors opportunities beyond the actual use of the product, and this has several advantages for our energy-intensive location. The demand for CO₂ reduction has brought energy efficiency in production as well as the entire process chain more to the forefront. For thar we are well positioned in the Saarland: Strong players with a lot of expertise in the areas of digitalisation, software and automation are a guarantor that production in the plants can be better planned and thus becomes more efficient. Of course, FORD's decision against Saarlouis was and is a stab in the heart of Saarland's automotive industry. It undoubtedly hurts the employees the most. But our entire automotive location is also suffering. Our goal is clear: to keep as many jobs at the site as possible after 2025. And regardless of what drive the car of the future may have, we want it to continue to have a Saarland soul. In this way, we in the Saarland can once again prove that structural change can succeed without major disruptions – and become a blueprint for an industry that is undergoing global upheaval. Yours Anke Rehlinger Minister President of the Saarland Share � � Anke Rehlinger, Minister President of the Saarland Keynote by Anke Rehlinger Minister President of the Saarland Grußwort von Anke Rehlinger Ministerpräsidentin des Saarlandes

4 Transformation in the automotive industry – vision and challenge By Armin Gehl, Managing Director autoregion e. V., Saarbrücken 6 Table of contents Image: © Staatskanzlei/Jennifer Weyland Image: © Luxinnovation/Marion Dessard Keynote by Anke Rehlinger Minister President of the Saarland 3 Keynote by Anke Rehlinger 3 Minister President of the Saarland Transformation in the 6 automotive industry – vision and challenge By Armin Gehl, Managing Director autoregion e. V., Saarbrücken Increase resilience! 8 By Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Industry and Commerce and member of the board of autoregion e. V. Spearheading mobility 10 innovation By Lena Mårtensson, Senior Marketing & Communication Officer, Luxinnovation GIE abat+ GmbH 12 By Tobias Kiefer, Head of Innovative Software Solutions Studying dually – what 14 does that mean? ASW gGmbH – Duale Bildungseinrichtung der htw Saar in Neunkirchen/Saar Smart Manufacturing 16 Interview with Stefan Beinkämpen, Managing Director and CEO of the company and responsible for strategy and business development IB-Lenhardt AG – 18 Your innovative partner for international testing and certification solutions Technology development 20 in the USA: where will it go from here? By Dr.-Ing. Georg Wagner, Executive Director, NTC Nano Tech Coatings GmbH Company Presentations autoregion e. V. 24 BüchnerBarella Assekuranzmakler GmbH 26 DORUCON – DR. RUPP CONSULTING GmbH 27 Global Retool Group GmbH 28 SUSI&James GmbH 29 Walter Werner GmbH 30 Spearheading mobility innovation By Lena Mårtensson, Senior Marketing & Communication Officer, Luxinnovation GIE 10 abat+ GmbH By Tobias Kiefer, Head of Innovative Software Solutions 12

5 5 Smart Manufacturing Interview with Stefan Beinkämpen, Managing Director and CEO of the company and responsible for strategy and business development 16 Increase resilience! By Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Industry and Commerce and member of the board of autoregion e. V. 8 Technology development in the USA: where will it go from here? By Dr.-Ing. Georg Wagner, Executive Director, NTC Nano Tech Coatings GmbH 20 Advertisments TORPEDO Gruppe U 2 abat+ GmbH 5 Mauss&Coll. Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH 9 NTC Nano Tech Coatings GmbH 13 ASW Akademie der Saarwirtschaft 14/15 Fraunhofer IZFP 17 IB-Lenhardt AG 18/19 Cebi Luxembourg S. A. 21 Saarstahl 23 autoregion e. V. 25 LUXEMBOURG TRADE & INVEST 31 TraSaar Netzwerk für Transformation 32 fleXstructures GmbH 33 Porsche Zentrum Saarland U 3 Expert Directory 22 Veranstaltungen 2023: 34 IHK Saarland – autoregion e. V. – TraSaar Legal notice 34 We thank all participating companies, authors and all advertisers for their support. Image: © IHK Saarland Image: © Andre Koehl

6 Transformation in the automotive industry – vision and challenge By Armin Gehl, Managing Director autoregion e. V., Saarbrücken The autoregion e. V. is an independently operating, complementary body to the existing automotive networks of the Greater Region, which work decentralized in their regions of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and Luxembourg. In his contribution, Armin Gehl draws a thread through the history of the development of the automotive industry during the last few years up to the present day, which overall can be seen as a permanent transformation process characterised by change. Image: © autoregion e. V. If one searches for the meaning of a term not – as is usual today – on Google, but in the 19th edition of the BROCKHAUS Encyclopaedia from 1993, one finds there under the keyword “transformation” the educational explanation “reshaping, transformation” and the definition according to which transformation is the “fundamental reshaping” of an “economic, political and social system”. And indeed, it does not seem to be a new phenomenon of the internet age if the encyclopaedic authors of the late last millennium, thinking and writing in analogue dimensions, were able to provide a description and explanation that was quite appropriate for the current situation of the global automotive industry. Looking at the development of the international automotive industry over the last 50 years, one has to conclude that the only constants in development have been transformation, reshaping or conversion and the reaction to new, previously unknown challenges. The 1973 oil crisis with its driving bans, speed limits and significantly increased petrol prices had fatal economic consequences that were reflected in almost all economic indicators and caused turbulence in the industry worldwide. The Japanese OEMs were able to take advantage of this, shaking up the global automobile market – above all the US market – and redistributing the cards. But at the same time, awareness of the finite nature of natural resources grew. The focus was no longer on unrestrained growth with ever larger and more powerful drive units. Saving was the order of the day and new engines with significantly improved economic performance data were developed through technical innovations. Car bodies formed in the wind tunnel not only created a new, creative automotive design, but also contributed to lower fuel consumption. The globalisation of markets, which began with vehemence in the mid-1980s, posed an enormous challenge. It is true that the German automotive industry had already been on the move worldwide with its exports. Local industrialisation with increasing local content, especially of commercial vehicles in South America, Asia and Africa, had also given the industry its first experience in setting up international supply chains. But the global opening of markets and the parallel development of a worldwide logistics system created a whole new dimension of international division of labour. In the last 15 to 20 years, the development of China into the world's largest automobile market – ahead of the USA and Europe – taught us that this was still to be surpassed, and that the German automotive industry had no small share in these events and was also able to profit from them to a considerable extent. The automotive industry has been able to respond to all these challenges with its innovative capacity and develop new products, systems and processes that have taken account of the changed framework conditions. Even though the end of the autoArmin Gehl, Managing Director of the association autoregion e. V.

7 autoregion e. V. https://www.autoregion.eu/en Contact https://autoregion.eu/en/contact Events https://autoregion.eu/en/termine Summary Transformation in der Automobilindustrie – Vision und Herausforderung Von Armin Gehl, Geschäftsführer des autoregion e. V., Saarbrücken Der autoregion e. V. ist ein eigenständig arbeitendes, komplementär-ergänzendes Organ zu den bestehenden Automotive-Netzwerken der Großregion, die dezentral in ihren Regionen Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz und Luxemburg arbeiten. Armin Gehl zieht in seinem Beitrag einen roten Faden durch die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Automobilindustrie während der letzten Jahre bis heute, die insgesamt als ein permanenter, vom Wandel geprägter Transformationsprozess angesehen werden kann. Schaut man bei der Suche nach der Bedeutung eines Begriffs einmal nicht – wie heute üblich – bei Google nach, sondern in der 19. Auflage der BROCKHAUS Enzyklopädie von 1993, findet sich dort unter dem Stichwort „Transformation“ die bildungssprachliche Erläuterung „Umformung, Umgestaltung, Umwandlung“ und die Definition, wonach es sich bei der Transformation um die „grundlegende Umgestaltung“ eines „wirtschaftlichen, politischen und gesellschaftlichen Systems“ handelt. Und in der Tat, es scheint sich um kein neues Phänomen des Internetzeitalters zu handeln, wenn die in analogen Dimensionen denkenden und schreibenden Lexikonautoren des ausgehenden letzten Jahrtausends eine für die aktuelle Situation der globalen Automobilindustrie durchaus zutreffende Beschreibung und Erläuterung zu liefern in der Lage waren. Betrachtet man die Entwicklung der internationalen Automobilindustrie über die letzten 50 Jahre, muss man feststellen, dass die einzige … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/l0vdz mobile was prophesied in every crisis, the result of overcoming the crisis was crowned with success every time. The fact that this was possible was not least due to the fact that mobility is one of the basic human needs. Enabling, promoting, and developing it is the basis of economic success and cultural inspiration, because it not only brings people and goods together to achieve an economic optimum. In addition, mobility creates interpersonal encounters, exchange, and mutual understanding. And this is precisely the reason and approach to mastering the new challeng es facing the automotive industry. And that is precisely why the current transformation process must and will succeed. Compared to previous challenges, the tasks ahead seem gigantic indeed. Mega topics such as e-mobility, digitalisation, automation and robotics, the use of artificial intelligence in the vehicle, in production and development processes as well as in the transport infrastructure and, not least, climate protection as the overriding goal form the core of the challenge. What is new – compared to historical challenges – is the time dimension. With its Climate Protection Act, Germany has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by the end of the decade compared to 1990. Europe is to be climate-neutral by 2050. In the transport sector, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced from 146 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2020 to a maximum of 85 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2030. This deadline alone rules out a consecutive approach and calls for a comprehensive, networked strategy process that includes all those involved in the automotive value-added process. This transformation affects every single element of the traditional value creation process, both vertically and horizontally, and necessarily leads to drastic changes that are initially also associated with negative consequences. This is most evident in the changeover to e-mobility, which has a significant impact on the scope and structure of employment. On the other hand, however, new opportunities are arising – especially in battery development, production, and disposal, which previously existed only rudimentarily or not at all on this scale. Especially the disposal of batteries that can no longer be used must be embedded in an industrial circular economy that fits seamlessly into the automotive value-added process. The situation is similar with the development of new types of drive and the use of alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen and synthetic fuels. Synthetic fuels are an imperative element in solving the problem of vehicles with classic internal combustion engines that still exist worldwide. They can only continue to be operated in a climateneutral manner by using this type of fuel. The use of green hydrogen is particularly urgent for heavy trucks in long-distance transport, which is currently not economically feasible with electric drive. These technological challenges, which are only listed here as examples for others, can solely be solved through a closely networked system of technology transfer in which not only companies, research institutions, associations, and chambers of commerce, but also politics and trade unions are to be involved. Trade unions particularly have a special role to play in this process. The decisive success factor in overcoming crises and developing new products and processes was and is the qualification and flexibility of employees. And this is especially true today. Traditional occupational and qualification patterns are changing fundamentally. The problems of today cannot be solved with yesterday's traditional knowledge and experience. But this also applies to practised negotiation patterns in the talks between the bargaining partners. The insistence on vested interests and the prevention of a necessary compulsion to make qualitative adjustments are not a contribution that will help to lead our industry back to the leading international position it has held for decades. However, the collective bargaining partnership that has been practised in recent years should make us confident that this will also succeed again in the implementation of the necessary transfer measures. Share � �

8 Increase resilience! By Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Industry and Commerce and member of the board of autoregion e. V. There is no doubt that the current development of the economic and geopolitical framework conditions is challenging for the automotive and supplier industry: The war in Ukraine, high energy and rawmaterial prices, exploding COVIDinfections in China, stressed supply chains, weak and uncertain global economy, more difficult market access in the USA due to the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, rising interest rates and much more. On top of that, companies also have to cope with the challenges of environmental and digital transformation. All of this will further increase costs for companies and thus narrow the scope for investment and job creation. In the Saarland, moreover, Ford's location decision in favour of Valencia (Spain) will not remain without consequences for the supplier industry in this country, which is already under enormous pressure to adapt. Image: © IHK Saarland Actively managing the transformation Despite the numerous crises and enormous challenges, I am fundamentally optimistic and convinced of the resilience and future performance of the automotive industry. After all, the German automotive industry has been successfully undergoing transformation for a long time. In this way, the leading German industry has always succeeded very well over many years in defending its global pole position in the areas of innovation, quality, design and image. Even today – in a time when multiple crises have become the norm – companies in the automotive sector know very well how to react appropriately to the – often abrupt – changes in the economic, ecological, and social framework conditions: Firstly, by perceiving necessary changes and the associated difficult challenges as opportunities. Secondly, by aligning the entire organisation and its product range pro-actively, courageously and resolutely to the future. But above all, by an active and consistent management of the demanding transformation process by their CEOs. Regionalise the production and supply network more strongly ... Numerous companies in the automotive industry have opened up new business fields through massive investments, pushed ahead with digitalisation and made their own structures more resilient to the increasing global economic and geopolitical risks. More resilient in the sense that they have started to regionalise their production and supply network more strongly. Currently, the last point in particular is crucial, because the pandemic and geopolitical shortages, e.g. of energy, raw materials and electronic components, have shown very clearly the Achilles' heel of globalisation. Not to be misunderstood: The advantages of the international division of labour are definitely not to be dismissed for the export nation Germany and the Saarland – on the contrary. However, it is also true that dependence on individual states in the fields of energy, raw materials, semiconductors and computer chips is highly risky. Despite the current reduction of tensions, the pressure on supply chains remains high. The permanent safeguarding of production and supply chains is therefore essential. For companies in the automotive and supplier industry, this basically means: more diversification and regionalisation of their production and supply network in order to become more resilient and robust in view of the current and future crises. However, it is also clear that as correct and important nearshoring and reshoring are, especially in times of crisis, this must not be at the expense of efficiency and flexibility in the long term. ... and secure it at the European level However, since the cost burden will continue to rise in view of high energy and labour costs, the institutions at the European level must accompany this process with a bundle of measures. First, by adopting strategic raw material partnerships because industrial change requires a new raw materials base. In this respect, raw materials policy is always also climate and regional economic policy. And only this political level has the competences to conclude the framework agreements that will subsequently enable industry in Europe to launch corresponding entrepreneurial initiatives and projects in a legally secure manner. Secondly, by strengthening free trade, for example through free trade agreements between the EU and the USA with the clear goal of reducing tariffs for motor vehicles, parts and components. And finally, by expanding Europe's technological leadership in line with the vision of the European chip strategy. At the federal level, the federal government will need a strategy to help businesses grow out of the crisis. In this context, a reduction in corporate taxes to an internationally competitive level is needed to increase entrepreneurial investment and innovation. However, it is at least as important to create the basis on which innovations of the future can emerge. We need a “turnaround” in the areas of innovation and technology transfer! More speed in the implementation of the digital agenda and a real openness for new technologies (hydrogen, synthetic fuels) instead of a one-sided focus on the battery-powered electric drive should be the guiding principle of action in the view of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Diversify the economic structure and secure Saarland as an industrial location Answers to the question of how Saarland can become more competitive as an industrial location and thus secure it in the long term are at least as necessary. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce has made numerous substantial proposals in this regard. And the Dr. Carsten Meier, Managing Director of the Saarland Chamber of Industry and Commerce and member of the board of autoregion e. V.

9 Summary Die Widerstandsfähigkeit erhöhen! Von Dr. Carsten Meier, Geschäftsführer der IHK Saarland und Mitglied im Vorstand von autoregion e. V. Zweifellos ist die aktuelle Entwicklung der wirtschafts- und geopolitischen Rahmenbedingungen für die Automobil- und Zulieferindustrie herausfordernd: Ukraine-Krieg, hohe Energie- und Rohstoffpreise, explodierende Corona-Fallzahlen in China, gestresste Lieferketten, schwache und unsichere Weltkonjunktur, erschwerter Markzugang in den USA durch die Umsetzung des Inflation Reduction Act, steigende Zinsen und vieles mehr. Darüber hinaus müssen die Unternehmen auch noch die Herausforderungen der ökologischen und digitalen Transformation bewältigen. All das wird die Kosten für die Unternehmen weiter erhöhen und damit den Spielraum für Investitionen und Beschäftigungsaufbau einengen. Im Saarland wird zudem die Standortentscheidung von Ford zugunsten von Valencia nicht ohne Folgen für die Zulieferindustrie hierzulande bleiben, die ohnehin schon unter einem enormen Anpassungsdruck steht. Die Transformation aktiv managen Dennoch bin ich grundsätzlich optimistisch und überzeugt von der Widerstandskraft und der künftigen Performance der Automotive-Branche … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/lbvue Chamber has addressed concrete recommendations for action and appeals to the political decision-makers within the framework of political consultation. The key words here include reducing the exorbitant location costs, an investment offensive, a forwardlooking industrial and commercial land policy and much more. Successful structural transformation in the Saarland also means maintaining the competitiveness of the industrial core and at the same time further diversifying the economic structure and making it more resilient. Due to the sectoral weightings, the latter particularly requires the successful settlement of innovative technology providers for future sustainable mobility and the establishment of “green” technologies. In this context, the successful settlement of SVOLT would be an important signal that all policy levels in the country are seriously addressing structural change. Creating excellent conditions for new, forward-looking centres of value creation At the same time, state policy should also accompany the process of structural transformation by creating excellent conditions for new forward-looking value-added centres and networks – for example in battery and fuel cell technology or in the circular economy. There is considerable potential here. After all, the development of recycling capacities for drive batteries of electric vehicles or even the dismantling and recycling of complete vehicles (re-factoring) on a large scale is only making slow progress in Europe. Therefore, the goal should be the creation of a circular economy ecosystem in Saarland in conjunction with Luxembourg and the Région Grand Est in France. This requires noticeable incentives for more innovation in the fields of circular economy, resource efficiency and recycling. If successful, the region could take on a pioneering role in this field in conjunction with a fruitful SVOLT settlement. But time is pressing! The hydrogen economy also offers enormous opportunities for the Saarland with its focus on value creation in steel production and processing, vehicle construction and plant engineering. If hydrogen was to become a growth driver at the Saar, the foundations for this must be laid quickly. The implementation of a consistent and far-sighted “hydrogen roadmap”, which offers potential along the existing and future value chain, is needed. Despite all the economic upheavals, crises have one good thing: they are drivers of change and accelerators of innovation. They require not to rest on our laurels, but to leave the old paths and to take new innovative paths. Let’s tackle it together! With courage, energy and a lot of confidence! The Saarland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and autoregion e.V. will continue to support you with passion and commitment. Feel free to contact us!

10 Spearheading mobility innovation By Lena Mårtensson, Senior Marketing & Communication Officer, Luxinnovation GIE Luxembourg is determined to promote the use of innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for the society of today and tomorrow. This commitment, combined with massive infrastructure and public transport investment as well as R&D and business partnership opportunities, make the country an excellent testbed for mobility innovation for the European market. The ability to move freely from one place to another – and at an affordable price – is essential. However, this everyday activity is often fraught with difficulties: endless queues on the motorway, buses that do not arrive on time, difficulties to find parking, pollution, noise … As a booming regional economic hotspot with a fast-growing population, over 200,000 cross-border workers and the concentrated activities of a lively logistics hub, Luxembourg faces various challenges with regards to mobility issues. “We are very conscious of the role and importance of mobility in daily work and life,” confirms Jean Schiltz, Head of Smart Mobility at the Ministry of the Economy. “There is a strong interest in Luxembourg in integrating new mobility concepts. Because of the special situation that we are facing, everyone is concerned by the topic and different stakeholders are willing to work together.” Unique mobility mix In order to free up road capacity and offer sustainable transport alternatives, the country is investing extensively in public transport, notably rail infrastructure and decarbonised bus fleets, and in facilitating multimodality. Luxembourg also made the international headlines in 2020 when it became the first country in the world to make all public transport free of charge. However, many Europeans live outside dense urban areas, or have other constraints that make the use of privately owned cars unavoidable. “Our focus is on developing an integrated travel experience from first to last mile, but our approach is quite unique,” underlines Joost Ortjens, Head of International Business Development – Smart Mobility at national innovation agency Luxinnovation. “Many regions are trying to replace car ownership by ‘mobility as a service’ solutions. What makes Luxembourg special is that we do not ignore the advantages of car ownership and usage. Instead, we facilitate a hybrid model that allows people to smartly combine their cars with public transportation and other mobility services. Building modern and safe car parks next to mobility hubs is one way of encouraging people to take the train or bus for part of the journey rather than driving all the way. Image: © Luxinnovation/Quattro Creative Image: © Luxinnovation/Quattro Creative

11 Though it might seem simple, this way of addressing mobility challenges is not very common.” Data is also an important component. Luxembourg already has a nation-wide mobility app that calculates the optimal way to travel between two destinations, including both public transport and car and bike sharing. “We are working to digitalise the transport sector further, benefitting from Luxembourg’s outstanding digital infrastructure: world-class connectivity, a business-oriented high performance computer, the national GAIA-X hub that is involved in the European endeavour to harmonise data exchange, and our forthcoming data exchange platform and national cloud,” says Mr Schiltz. Partnerships for mobility innovation These initiatives make Luxembourg a fertile ground for mobility innovation with a wide array of partnership opportunities. The University of Luxembourg’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) has high-level expertise in the fields of autonomous mobility, robotics and drone technology, and its MobiLab specialises in traffic planning and modelling. The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) specialises in digital twins and traffic simulations, and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) focuses on urban development and mobility. “There are often open innovation opportunities provided by public stakeholders. The national railway company CFL, for example, is eager to test and validate next generation mobility solutions,” says Mr Ortjens. “In the private sector, Amazon Europe is headquartered in Luxembourg and pushing innovation in middle and last-mile deliveries. My advice to smart mobility businesses interested in the European market is always to try to find a partner to test their technology and solution in a real-life situation. If such a pilot project is conclusive and validated by a prospective customer in Luxembourg, it could be used to sell the solution all over Europe.” Towards zero emission The need to become smart and digital is not the only challenge that the mobility sector faces today. “Factors such as increasing raw material and energy prices, the shortage of essential components like microchips and a volatile level of orders are putting the automotive industry under pressure,” explains Anthony Auert, Luxembourg AutoMobility Cluster Manager at Luxinnovation. “The EU’s recent decision that all new cars sold from 2035 onwards should be zero emission also calls for a major technological change with far-reaching impact on supply chains and production lines. But, as it is the case in all critical situations, this also opens new avenues for innovation.” This is clearly reflected in the Luxembourg ecosystem. “At the Ministry of the Economy, we are pleased to see the number of projects that are being presented to us by national entities as well as international organisations interested in opening offices here,” says Mr Schiltz. “They often focus on powertrain development and applications for new electric vehicles, as well as on advancing fuel cell, biofuel or e-fuel vehicles. The sector is in full transition, and we can see that Luxembourg companies are doing their utmost to fit in, notably by investing in electrification and zero-emission vehicles.” To support the decarbonisation of mobility, Luxembourg’s first public hydrogen station operated by TotalEnergies will open in the first half of 2023. The station will support the introduction of the first dual fuel trucks operated by Haesaerts Luxembourg, a road and multimodal transport company specialised in tanker transport of liquid chemicals, gases and cryogenic products. After four years of research and development by Haesaerts’ partner CMB Tech, a Belgiumbased expert in zero-emission combustion engines, the company is now about to put a dual fuel lorry, fuelled by a mixture of traditional diesel and hydrogen, on the road. “This is done in ‘retro-fit’ mode,” explains Luc Haesaerts, director of Haesaerts Luxembourg. “We use new standard vehicles directly from the manufacturer’s production line and apply the CMB Tech technology that allows hydrogen to be injected with the diesel.” Equipped lorries have a range of 450 km in dual fuel mode. When the hydrogen reserve is exhausted, they continue to run on diesel alone. “The addition of hydrogen to diesel makes a drastic reduction in polluting emissions possible,” says Anthony Auert, manager of the Luxembourg AutoMobility Cluster. “It is not as efficient as a purely electric solution, but it represents a very attractive transitional solution, since it supports the decarbonisation of existing lorry fleets while maintaining a satisfactory range. Not to mention that the addition of the dual fuel kit does not compromise the maintenance of the lorries in the traditional network.” Catalysts for change For decades, Luxembourg has been home to globally operating automotive component suppliers such as Goodyear, IEE, Carlex (recently acquired by Webasto), BorgWarner (formerly Delphi) and Cebi International. They are surrounded by a dynamic ecosystem of around 700 companies – including some 50 start-ups – that have automobility as their main or secondary activity. Some 100 of them are service providers supporting the emergence of more intelligent and sustainable mobility. “These innovative businesses have a key role to play, and companies here have access to more than 100 local change catalysts that can support their transformation,” comments Mr Auert. He emphasises the constant reinvestments made in Luxembourg by companies such as Goodyear, which recently inaugurated its fully automated top-of-the-range production facilities in the south of the country. “When I ask them why they remain committed to this location, they always talk primarily about the access to talent within Luxembourg’s highly qualified, multicultural population. They also mention the country’s central location in Europe and neutral image which facilitates contacts with clients in different European countries, as well as the accessibility to highlevel decision makers and their business oriented approach. They recognise that the country does everything to support entrepreneurs and the national economy, and this is highly appreciated.” Share � � Luxinnovation GIE https://t1p.de/74ls Image: © Luxinnovation

12 abat+ GmbH abat in St. Ingbert, Saarland, is part of the abat Group, which has more than 800 employees and additional national and international locations. The company stands for digital high availability solutions in the complex manufacturing industry for production control, production planning and quality management. In addition, the portfolio includes xReality, artificial intelligence, app and software development, and cloud services, among others. A strong asset of abat's IT experts is the transformation of legacy systems. The goal: to open the door for tomorrow today. Hybrid Cloud Manufacturing by abat: Creating new ways for your path to the future Despite all the challenges, countless companies have continued to grow over decades. Closely linked to this growth is the constant evolution of the IT infrastructure. Consisting of monolithic applications and expensive physical hardware structures, many of today's companies face cost-intensive and time-consuming maintenance and software enhancements. In addition, the knowledge of these aging legacy systems dwindles. Challenges such as competent employees leaving their companies or the unwillingness of subsequent generations in learning outdated technologies as well as the unavoidable need to reach for a service provider with the necessary know-how push the cost spiral even higher. Eventually the integration of new functionalities in a constantly changing market environment is difficult or even impossible with the existing technology. Facing the high cost pressure, migrating to a new system seems to have no alternative from an outside view. Therefore fundamental changes within existing systems are considered utopian even by IT specialists due to the immense economic risks consisting in increasing error rates or unpredictable failure scenarios. So how can systems of yesterday, which have grown over the years and are often unclear and yet elementary, become ready for the challenges of tomorrow? Scalable, secure, reliable: abat makes existing legacy systems fit for future Hybrid cloud manufacturing is a key solution. This term refers to the expansion and optimization of existing legacy systems with modern container technology and innovative cloud solutions. When supporting its customers, the IT specialist abat relies on the broad spectrum consisting of established solutions and new fields of development from the very beginning. The interaction between business-critical existing software and modern programming is anything but trivial. With over 200 employees at the St. Ingbert office, the abat group provides everything needed to support and further develop complex system landscapes in companies. Many years of experience in manufacturing execution systems on the one hand and comprehensive process knowledge in manufacturing industry on the other hand make abat a professional partner in system support. The investment in research and development together with institutions such as Saarland University ensures, that the abat experts are ready for developing and implementing holistic solutions for hybrid cloud manufacturing challenges. Starting with a detailed analysis of status quo by the IT specialists from abat, a design of the optimal future system landscape is created together with the customer. Following the customer centered design phase, existing systems are integrated into the new architecture, process modules are added or system parts are replaced. During the process, the experts identify possibilities to migrate software parts to the cloud makes sense and point out, where potential extensions using container technology should be used. The resulting transition plan as well as an individual concept for maintenance and support complete the abat hybrid manufacturing portfolio. Support before, during and after the project phase is guaranteed at all times by the abat Group's Application Maintenance Team. Autor: Tobias Kiefer, Head of Innovative Software Solutions Share � � LinkedIn https://t1p.de/2kw5h Facebook https://t1p.de/g7mu2 Read more about abat https://www.abat.de/en Summary abat im saarländischen St. Ingbert ist Teil der mehr als 800 Mitarbeiter zählenden abat Gruppe mit weiteren nationalen und internationalen Standorten. Das Unternehmen steht für digitale Hochverfügbarkeitslösungen im Bereich der komplexen Fertigungsindustrie zur Produktionssteuerung, Produktionsplanung und Qualitätsmanagement. Darüber hinaus umfasst das Portfolio unter anderem xReality, Künstliche Intelligenz, App- und Softwareentwicklung sowie Cloud-Services. Ein starkes Asset der IT-Experten von abat ist die Transformation von LegacySystemen. Das Ziel: Dem Heute die Tür für das Morgen zu öffnen … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/1374h abat+ GmbH

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14 Studying dually – what does that mean? The Akademie der Saarwirtschaft (ASWgGmbH) – the dual education institution of the htw saar (University of Applied Sciences) has been offering dual studies for over 30 years. Images: © ASW Archiv ANZEIGE Today's ASW gGmbH in Neunkirchen/Saar began offering dual study programmes in 1991 as a vocational academy. Since 2021, the Saarland higher education institution has been part of the htw saar (University of Applied Sciences) in Saarbrücken. The ASW, as the "Academy of the Saar Economy", has furthermore been offering three-year bachelor’s degree programmes in the fields of: Business Administration ((BWL) Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)), Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)), Business Informatics (Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)) and Industrial Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)) for the htw saar since 2021. What does it mean for students to study "dually"? The three-year dual bachelor's programme at the ASW in Neunkirchen/ Saar has been characterised by the concept of alternating lectures at the ASW with practical phases in the company since its inception. In this way, well-founded professional knowledge is combined with the ability to quickly put it into practice in day-to-day business. Students can obtain a state university degree (Bachelor) after three years and, if they are interested, can follow this up with a master's degree. Studying dually and Earning Money - With Business for Business There are many arguments in favour of studying with the dual system. First and foremost: attractive salaries. In contrast to a traditional degree programme, students in a dual degree programme are paid by the partner company that accompanies them. Theory and practice combined Each year there are several theory blocks at the ASW in Neunkirchen. In the remaining time, students gain practical experience in the cooperating company. Well over 200 ASW partner companies The ASW has more than 200 partner companies where students can complete a dual study programme. A list of all partners can be found at: www.asw-berufsakademie.de No numerus clausus At the ASW, dual degree programmes are not linked to fixed grades. The prerequisite is a general university entrance qualification (Abitur), a technical college entrance qualification (Fachabitur) or a completed master craftsman's examination. Interested students apply to an ASW practice partner of their choice. The ASW is happy to help with initial contact with their partner companies. Four courses of study are possible at the ASW Through the dual study programme at the ASW, future business administrators (m/f/d) acquire valuable practical skills in addition to specialist knowledge, which puts them in an excellent starting position for later employment in leading positions. Business administration The educational cooperation with the companies ensures that the needs of the participating dual partners (m/f/d) are also considered in terms of content. The following specialisations are offered: Trade, Industry, Financial Services, Taxation and Accounting, Logistics, Craft Management Mechanical Engineering Production Technology The aim of the Mechanical Engineering Production Technology programme is to train engineers who acquire a high level of knowledge from industrial practice in addition to the theoretical tools. The dual or two-track training concept at one of the ASW is ideally suited for this purpose. Half of the time, the students are in the company and work on concrete projects. The other half of the time they acquire the skills they need for the tasks of an engineer (m/f/d) at the ASW. Thus, after the three-year study programme, graduates have the necessary knowledge of mechanical engineering, as well as basic professional experience, which cannot be acquired in this specific form in any other study programme. Business Informatics The increasing penetration of business processes by information and communication technology requires qualified employees with both a high level of business management and technological competence in all areas of the economy. At the ASW, future business informatics specialists (m/f/d) acquire broad-based knowledge in both areas. The interlocking of theoretical and practical training elements ensures that they can immediately apply their acquired knowledge and adapt it to the specific needs of the dual partners (m/f/d) involved. In all areas, the development of learning content is practiceoriented, increasingly project-related, and team-oriented. Both previously completed and new learning material is repeatedly introduced into the lessons in realistic group work. Industrial Engineering and Management The aim of the Industrial Engineering and Production Management programme is to train practice-oriented engineers in three years who have an eye on costs, turnover,

the market, and technical feasibility in companies at the sensitive interface between technology and business, and who coordinate and improve the cooperation between these sometimes-competing areas. The dual or two-track training concept of the Saar Economy Academy is ideally suited for this purpose. After the three-year course of study, graduates (m/f/d) have the necessary knowledge in the fields of mechanical engineering, business administration and overarching subject complexes, such as: Project Management, Logistics, Controlling, Technical Sales, as well as fundamental professional experience that cannot be acquired in this specific form in any other degree programme. "A dual study programme at the ASW represents the ideal combination for performance-oriented and performance-ready young people between an education that is as scientifically sound as it is practice-oriented. Our goal is to produce capable and resilient young managers with professional and emotional competence," says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Metz, Managing Director of ASW gGmbH. "A dual study programme at ASW is an investment in the future for both students and companies," add Prof. Dr. Thomas Kunz, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kohlrusch and Prof. Dr. Christof Graf, who are also responsible for advanced and continuing education courses at ASW. (cg) Share � � Summary Die heutige ASW gGmbH in Neunkirchen/Saar begann 1991 als Berufsakademie duale Studiengänge anzubieten. Seit 2021 gehört die saarländische Hochschuleinrichtung der htw saar (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft) in Saarbrücken an. Die ASW als „Akademie der Saarwirtschaft“ führt seit 2021 dreijährige Bachelorstudiengänge in den Bereichen: Betriebswirtschaft ((BWL) Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)), Maschinenbau (Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)), Wirtschaftsinformatik (Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)) und Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen (Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)) für die htw saar durch … Weiterlesen https://t1p.de/lqsvm Dual studieren – was heißt das? Die Akademie der Saarwirtschaft (ASWgGmbH) – die Duale Bildungseinrichtung der htw saar (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft) bietet seit über 30 Jahren ein Duales Studium an.

16 Interview Smart Manufacturing Smart Manufacturing : Fully automated optical inspection and providing solutions in different markets, industries and applications is what K|Lens GmbH describes as its vision with its Industrial Solution division. Founded in Saarbrücken in 2016 as a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, K|Lens employs around 15 experts in sensortechnology and software development. Autoregion international spoke with Stefan Beinkämpen, Managing Director and CEO of the company and responsible for strategy and business development. Images: © K|Lens Mr. Beinkämpen, you are the managing director of K|Lens GmbH. Explain to us in just one sentence; what does K|Lens? ■“we bring machine vision in process technology“ ■Specializing in machine learning, we supply sensors, engineering, and artificial intelligence – from a single source for industrial applications. What advantages do you see for your customers through the use of state-of-theart 3D optical inspection? We all know production lines that statistically evaluate product quality with a process capability index. In the ramp-up and escalation phase also combined with manual, subjective visual inspection. This no longer corresponds to the state of the art in quality management, because it has three major disadvantages: ■indirect, statistical testing ■high personnel costs ■insufficient documentation Modern machine vision with artificial intelligence offers great potential and clear advantages. We do not replace the existing quality management, we complement the open flanks of the process according to the state of the art. This means: ■Our customers rely on 100% in-line control directly in the production process over the entire product life cycle and thus on continuous quality management. ■Our customers transform manual and subjective visual inspections into automated and objective inspections and significantly improve their process reliability. ■Our customers create data sets for every machine vision product, including environmental and process data, and document products and components holistically. The automotive industry is currently going through a difficult transformation process, which is placing a heavy financial burden on OEMs and suppliers, how does the investment in machine vision, deep learning and 3D optical inspection systems pay off for your customers? The advantages already shown pay off directly for our customers. ■less human resources at the visual workstations reduce process costs. ■less incorrect classifications from subjective manual inspections reduces scrap costs. ■consistent productdocumentation improves the defense against defect- and warrantyclaims. We also offer solutions for our customers that do not require any investments. Large companies such as ThyssenKrupp are already leading and offering “pay per part” market solutions. Our customers can change investment costs (CAPEX) directly into production costs per piece (OPEX). Sample calculations have shown that the costs with an automated optical visual inspection versus a manual visual inspektion can be halved; then 50% of the savings go to our “pay per part” concept and 50% of the savings remain with our customer, a real win-win situation. You talked about state-of-the-art 3D machine vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). An online search for AI yields about 30 million entries. It feels like getting AI around every corner – what do you do differently? Admittedly, that's the impression you can get. A few pictures taken with the mobile phone and the AI solves everything else as if by magic. Unfortunately, computer vision is not so simple. On the one hand, an AI does not play Champions League without training, on the other hand, the quality of the input data is elementary. Here we differ significantly from the competition, as we define the project with our customers and then we develop a solution, so we look for the solution to the problem and not the problem for our solution. With our experience in 3D machine vision, our Multiview AI and light field technology, we do what matters. We create data sets that are

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