Business meeting at the Kamp-Lintfort campus. At the invitation of the business association, organisations and companies came together to forge business relationships.
People with cognitive impairments who are therefore unable to read or write can now travel independently on public transport thanks to an app developed in Kamp-Lintfort – made possible by a research project at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. In this instance, students visited care homes for people with disabilities and the elderly, learnt about the challenges faced there – for example, by people with disabilities – and subsequently developed ideas and, ultimately, a smartphone app to assist users whilst out and about. The participants at an entrepreneurs’ meeting – to which the entrepreneurs’ association had invited its members to the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences campus in Kamp-Lintfort – were impressed by these links between the academic world and practical application.
Managing directors, entrepreneurs and HR managers from Duisburg and the district of Wesel engaged in discussions with three professors from the university, partly to explore opportunities for collaboration and areas of common interest. “We want to foster this direct contact with universities in our region, as there are great opportunities not only in terms of research capacity but also in training potential young talent for local businesses,” explained Martin Jonetzko, deputy chief executive of the Employers’ Association.
One of the world’s largest and most modern so-called ‘FabLabs’ – open workshops – is located on the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences campus in Kamp-Lintfort. Prof. Dr Karsten Nebe presented the fully equipped workshop, where materials such as wood, metal and plastic can be worked using traditional craft methods, but which also houses laser cutters, various 3D printers, CNC milling machines and many other machines for digital manufacturing, as well as PCs. “Our aim is for students not only to design models on the computer, but also to turn these into real products themselves.” At the ‘display table’, Nebe then showcased a number of products made in-house: the printer that sows cress seeds in the shape of images; the cardboard prototype of a lampshade, which is now being further developed based on the model produced in just a few minutes; a brace that a member of staff had fitted to her hand; a tilt sensor moulded in plastic that remains functional but is now washable; and a ball-bearing wheel produced in one piece on the 3D printer.
Dean Prof. Dr Andreas Schürholz is also a champion of this philosophy of a degree programme that is as theoretical as it is practical. He showed the members of the employers’ association the Lego factory, where students simulate all the departments of a real company, from warehousing through production planning and control right through to final assembly. Through constantly changing cycles of customer orders, they optimise the processes, workflows and factory layout. “When digitalisation is then introduced and the flow of materials is self-regulated via transponders, this is comparable to optimisation processes in real companies,” said Schürholz. The business leaders also discussed potential areas of collaboration with the Dean – in addition to research commissions, these primarily include work placements and projects: “In the sixth semester, our students undertake 20-week work placements. They are also looking for topics for their Bachelor’s or Master’s theses; a problem faced by a company, for example, can serve as the starting point,” Schürholz explained.
Finally, the Faculty of Communication and Environment turned its attention to very human problems, such as the road traffic app described at the outset. Other research projects for which Prof. Dr Christian Ressel has secured public funding focus on dolls capable of displaying emotions – which can, for example, help to calm people with dementia – or electrically powered tactile puzzles that enable people with disabilities to use video-calling services.
The Entrepreneurs’ Association regularly invites its members to such business meetings to get to know other institutions and companies, maintain contacts and forge business relationships. For further information, please contact Martin Jonetzko, Tel. 0203 99367-121, email: jonetzko@unternehmerverband.org
