At a time when innovation cycles are short, the industrial sector can benefit from close cooperation with the universities. Augsburg’s new Green Factory , situated in the grounds of the Innovation Park there, is to concentrate on directly applicable production and processing-related research. The focus will be materials science and structural mechanics. The Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology (IGCV) intends to use the facility to research and develop innovative products for lightweight engineering. Further aims are to reduce the energy needed for industrial processes and prevent waste.

This move sees Augsburg evolving into an important location for Industry 4.0 research and manufacturing – the Swabian capital is home not least to the headquarters of global robotics player KUKA. The project is supported jointly by the Free State of Bavaria and the German federal government with EU funding of around 28 million euros, and scheduled for completion in late 2019.