Maker, Industry and Research #2 - Project Kickoff
The successful project "Enforcing Innovation across Maker, Industry and Research" (2017 - 2019) will be continued with the project "Maker, Industry and Research # 2" (2020 - 2022). Based on the experience gained, the new project will focus even more on topics of innovation and product development.
The Schumpeter Laboratory for Innovation will play a central role as a focal point for further cooperation between makers, industry and university research. Cooperation models that have already been developed will be further developed and new formats will be designed. One of the key findings of the first MI&R project is the positive effect of the regular exchange of the industrial partners in the half-yearly coordination meetings, during which the planned and already implemented cooperations were presented by the industrial partners and discussed with maker and students. Despite the very diverse group of industrial partners, in the first project MI&R #1, large thematic overlaps became apparent. Common challenges should be solved together in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The institute offers a new platform to do so. The follow-up project "MI&R#2" will make an even stronger contribution.
Kickoff
The project kickoff took place on 5th of March 2020 together with the industry partners and representatives of the maker community. Representatives of all new project partners, ANDRITZ, AVL, HIRTENBERGER, PAYER, ÖBB, PALFINGER, ELIN MOTOREN, OMV, and FRONIUS took part in the event. After a review of the MI&R #1 project by Dr. Hans Peter Schnöll and the presentation and discussion of selected results using the example of Hirtenberger GmbH by CEO Markus Haidenbauer, Dr. Markus Tomaschitz, Vice President Corporate Human Resources at AVL List, started the MI&R #2 project by his keynote-speech on the subject of “Rethinking Digitalization - Prepare for a revolution”. This lecture formed the basis of the discussion for the subsequent "speed dating" of students and representatives of the industrial partners.
Focus of MI&R #2
For each year of the MI&R#2 project, thematic priorities are set in coordination with the industrial partners. These focal points are worked on and discussed in the cooperation models to be carried out as well as in the regular network meetings. For specific topics, the new Schumpeter Laboratory for Innovation will be the meeting point for all those industrial partners who want to tackle challenges together. The IIM institute takes on the development and organization of these network formats.
We are looking forward to continuing the successful path we have taken together with our partners from industry, science and the maker community.