Applied research from universities supports industry in Saxony and Czech

Collaboration between universities and companies is a key factor for promoting innovation and development in the Czech Republic and in Saxony. Applied research plays a crucial role in this cooperation, bringing innovations, technological trends and industrial patents that companies use in production and development. The Czech-German Innovation Forum, which was held on Tuesday 9 May by the Institute for Annomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CXI TUL), Fraunhofer IWU and the Czech-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK), focused on this cooperation and the current trends that companies are applying in their production.

The first part of the forum brought together a panel discussion with the main organizers, Prof. Sebastian Scholz, Director of the Plastics Technology Center Oberlausitz, FhG IWU, Prof. Miroslav Černík, Director of CXI TUL and Prof. Welf-Guntram Drossel, Executive Director of Fraunhofer IWU. Together with other experts from companies and universities, they discussed current challenges and trends such as industrial 3D printing, the use of smart materials, lightweight and polymer technologies and the benefits of Industry 4.0. The event was also attended by the Rector of the University of Liberec, Mr. Miroslav Brzezina, and Thomas Zenker, Mayor of Zittau.

The second part of the forum allowed participants to choose from several workshops according to their interest. The first workshop focused on additive manufacturing processes and their potential for cost and time savings. The second workshop looked at the sustainability of lightweight composite parts. The third workshop focused on increasing productivity through Industry 4.0 processes. These workshops provided participants with a space to discuss and exchange knowledge on specific topics that are topical and relevant to the industrial sector - in the automotive, healthcare or construction industries.

Events such as the Czech-German Innovation Forum are an important opportunity for cooperation between universities and companies from both countries. They create a space for sharing knowledge, looking for new opportunities and joint solutions to the challenges we face today.