Future Technologies
Baden-Württemberg invests a lot in so-called cross-sectional technologies: Whether Industry 4.0 or lightweight technology, nanotechnology or photonics – the research and development at the Baden-Württemberg science and economic location concentrates on important future fields that have great growth potentials in the state.
Digitisation is changing our world – how we live, work and consume. Industrial production is likewise undergoing
changes; it is becoming more flexible, more individual and, at the same time, more efficient. Due to IT networking,
products and machines can exchange information autonomously and production can be controlled centrally and
variably. All of this is being made possible by Industry 4.0.
With its strengths in mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and companies supplying equipment for
industrial information and communications system, Baden-Württemberg‘s economy is in a very good position to exploit the potential of Industry 4.0 and develop innovative solutions.
As a leading location for industry and innovation, Baden-Württemberg is pressing ahead with Industry 4.0 intensively. The initiative „Allianz Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg“, which was started and is being sponsored by the state, is intended to bundle the various forms of competence and, in particular, to demonstrate the potential of Industry 4.0 for small and medium-sized companies in the industry.
Under the framework of a statewide digitisation strategy, Baden-Württemberg wants to become a global lead region for digital change – with a central focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The preconditions are good: in addition to world-renowned companies, our state benefits from highly innovative medium-sized enterprises with outstanding competencies in central AI application fields such as the manufacturing industry, mechanical and plant engineering, the automotive sector, the healthcare industry, industry-related services and software development.
With the Cyber Valley, which unites AI experts from science and industry, one of the top AI addresses worldwide is already at home in the German Southwest. Furthermore, a central strength of our state lies in application-oriented AI research, which benefits from nationwide networks and ensures a smooth transfer of research results into practice.
Europe's largest AI research consortium, strong partners from science and industry, application-oriented research and a well-functioning transfer of knowledge – Baden-Württemberg is on its way to becoming a leading AI region. Get informed about Artificial Intelligence from the German Southwest.
Micro system engineering and nanotechnologies are cross-sectional technologies which will have a key function for many products of the 21st century. They will have special effects on the automotive industry, the mechanical engineering, the optics industry, medical technology and biotechnologies – that is, industries in which the Baden-Württemberg economy has special strengths.
In Baden-Württemberg, the most important actors in this future field therefore joined to the cluster MicroTEC Südwest e.V.. It unites more than 110 companies, institutions, universities and research institutions with numerous scientists – and this way belongs to the greatest technology networks in Europe. The objective of the cluster actors is to build up the internationally leading position of Baden-Württemberg in the field of micro system engineering up to the world leader.
The state has a top position in research and development of micro system engineering and nanotechnologies in Germany. The institute for micro system engineering (IMTEK) at the Freiburg University that covers all relevant fields of the subject with 21 professorships is internationally just as renowned as the KIT Zentrum NanoMikro of the Karlsruhe Institute for technology (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie).
Exemplary industry institutions:
Optical technologies can be used as tool in many areas. Particularly in the display and light technology, in measuring and production engineering, in information and communication technology and in medicine and biophotonics, optical solutions are important key modules.Due to their cross-sectional character, photonics have a strong impulse effect for a wide range of production areas.
Baden-Württemberg has an excellent industrial infrastructure for the development and production of optical technologies. Here, the photonics industry is not just an employer for highly qualified specialists. It also takes a top position internationally within the industry with enterprises of repute such as Carl Zeiss, Sick and Karl Storz.
The research landscape of photonics in Baden-Württemberg is characterised by a high application orientation. Numerous on-campus and non-university research institutions have built up international reputation in the field. The Photonics BW e.V. network has a decisive role for the networking of the industry. Its objective is to support the research and development of optical technologies and to strengthen the dialog between business, science and politics.
Exemplary industry institutions: