TU Graz and the automotive supplier Magna have been working together highly successfully for 15 years in the framework of the European automotive engineering centre of excellence, the FSI, which was established in 2004. 1300 scientific papers and 13 joint patents are witness to this unique Austrian success story.
Intensification of research work
In the new cooperation, TU Graz and Magna Steyr are expanding their collaboration in research core areas to include automated driving, virtual product development and smart production. The objective is to engage more intensively with digitalisation in vehicle development and production.
Up to now, focus has been on the research core areas of the three FSI institutes (Institute of Automotive Engineering, Institute of Innovation and Industrial Management, and Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming). In automotive engineering, these comprised essentially the challenges in the fields of new mobility, energy management and automotive mechatronic systems. Sustainable lightweight construction and optimized production processes in turn form the frame of orientation in the field of Tools & Forming.
For TU Graz Rector Harald Kainz, the new cooperation is the logical continuation of the well functioning partnership with Magna: ‘Both sides embody the willingness to realise visions and to continually develop themselves. Here, digitalisation opens immense opportunities – and not just in automotive engineering, but also in other areas of research and industry. In this respect, I am delighted that we will be breaking new ground in the collaboration in order to actively shape the future. Karl-Friedrich Stracke, President of Fahrzeugtechnik & Engineering Magna Steyr, sees great potential on both sides in the cooperation: ‘For us, the cooperation between TU Graz and Magna Steyr is of great importance in order to overcome the technological challenges in the automotive industry together. The cooperation will also promote the specific training of students in order to enable knowledge to be transfered into the industry.
Response to lack of managers
The cooperation partners are also setting new trends in the field of talent management. Thanks to the intensive collaboration in joint projects, TU Graz can combine basic and applied research much better and train the engineers needed in industry. On top of this, a lecture hall sponsorship is increasing the visibility of Magna at TU Graz.
