Events 2019

Curiosity is a prerequisite for success – not merely in science and research but also in business and, indeed, in everyday life. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Future Forum in 2020, Fraunhofer IAO called on companies and organizations to welcome new digital developments and social trends with openness and curiosity. Held in Stuttgart’s Wagenhallen from January 30-31, the two-day forum offered a well-established mix of practical presentations, the latest research news and interactive discussion formats on the future of work. A focus on organizational issues raised the following questions: How do I get my team to stay inquisitive? How can I help employees remain open to experimentation and act in an agile way? What are the best management and organizational models for this purpose? Participants debated these and related questions from a scientific perspective and in the light of best practice examples from both home and abroad. The forum twittered under the hashtag #zufo20.

At the end of February, Stuttgart hosted the Advanced Digital Engineering Summit (ADES). Focusing on the topic of digital connectivity in development, planning and manufacturing, this two-day event looked specifically at the use of new technology to create solutions designed to improve workflow and efficiency – in particular, at the interface between these three areas. In a series of practically oriented presentations, experts from industry discussed concrete use cases and examples of successfully implemented applications. Speakers including Thomas Kriegel from Audi, Dr. Thomas Schneider from Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen and Ralf Waltram from BMW addressed topics such as change management, agile concepts, and digitalization in the flexible processing of sheet metal. In addition, there were talks on the latest innovations to emerge from the research sphere, including so-called crowd-engineering.

The international InnoFrugal conference is Europe’s best-known event in the field of frugal innovation – i.e., the development of new easy-to-use solutions in price-sensitive sectors. Back in April 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute Center Stuttgart hosted the inaugural InnoFrugal Germany, which was organized by the Center for Frugal Products of Fraunhofer IAO and Fraunhofer IPA. Field reports from experts working in the automotive, electronics, medical engineering and tourism sectors offered an insight into scientific and business practice in the domain of frugal innovation. They described the challenges they face, their way of dealing with them, and their view of future developments in the area of “smart simplicity.”

The joint presentation of the two studies “Autonomous driving in tomorrow’s cities” (AFKOS) and ROBOCAB was an opportunity for two research areas at Fraunhofer IAO to showcase their expertise in the field of autonomous mobility. The two studies focus on the individual aspects of mobility concepts for the future and also consider their acceptance within society. The presentation took place in July 2019 and was addressed primarily at mobility providers, municipal companies and government agencies. It provided an opportunity for an open dialog on new ideas. Following presentation of the two studies, the floor was opened to a full discussion with mobility experts. Topics covered included transport infrastructure, mobility as a service and car/ride-sharing.

The Esslingen Forum took place in July 2019. Last year’s event – the fourth time it has been held – featured a mix of seminars and forums. Senior managers from sectors including automotive, logistics, and machinery and plant engineering debated the latest trends and best practice from the Internet of Things. The event also provided small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a useful introduction to topics such as smart services and cloud computing. There were opportunities for discussions with speakers such as Andreas Oroszi, head of digital business at Festo, and for networking with fellow forum participants in various meet-up corners.