Bricks and mortar laid down for research ‘factory’

Construction work has begun on a “research factory” in Karlsruhe, a facility that is expected make an important contribution to Germany’s artificial intelligence strategy.

In a statement on 7 January, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology said that the factory, a collaboration with the Fraunhofer Society based at the KIT’s east campus, would be operational by the end of 2020. The facility is meant to use state-of-the-art digitisation methods to plan, test and bring production technologies into industrial use much faster than is possible now.

“The Karlsruhe research factory is a model case of cross-disciplinary cooperation between strong partners for the benefit of our country’s vitally important innovation capability,” said KIT president Holger Hanselka. “Through the targeted and early involvement of small and medium-sized businesses, we will also strengthen the attractiveness of the city and the region.”