The five-year collaboration will focus on the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. As part of the cooperation, Purdue will also join the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network as a research partner to shape forward-looking education in the field of smart manufacturing. The aspiring engineers at this top American university will be able to drive the next generation of industrial transformation immediately after entering the workforce.

Laboratories provide practical experience

The university will open two exclusive laboratories on its campus: an ‘Eplan Engineering Lab’ and a ‘Rittal Automation Systems Lab’, where students can conduct studies and gain practical experience in data-driven processes in plant engineering, such as wire assembly and wiring. The collaboration offers students and faculty unique access to an integrated ecosystem of hardware and software that is at the forefront of the automation and manufacturing industry.

Scholarships, internships and joint research and development initiatives

The comprehensive partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships and joint research and development initiatives. It can be extended to the entire Purdue Polytechnic High School network. The collaboration includes a significant number of Eplan software licences for students as well as further investments from Rittal and Eplan.

‘Beyond theory’

‘Purdue Polytechnic has always pursued the goal of preparing new generations for technology-driven industries, and this partnership is the perfect embodiment of that mission,’ says Dr Daniel Castro, Dean of Purdue Polytechnic. ‘By integrating world-class solutions from Rittal and Eplan into our curriculum, we are going beyond theory. Students are developing the practical skills and technological knowledge they need to become leaders in their field.’

Win-win situation

The partnership is beneficial for all sides. It creates direct access to qualified specialists for industry and offers students in-depth insight into technologies used by leading companies worldwide. Students at Purdue University gain practical experience with the Eplan platform in conjunction with data-consistent automation solutions and system technology from Rittal.

Investment in the future of American industrial education

For Rittal and Eplan, the partnership is a significant investment in the future of American industrial education and an opportunity for beneficial collaboration with first-class research. As part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, the companies have a long tradition of working with science and education in Europe and are delighted to now extend this model to the United States.

‘Perfect partner’

‘Purdue Polytechnic's long-standing tradition of qualifying its students to have an immediate impact as technology drivers in industry makes it the perfect partner,’ says Sebastian Seitz, CEO of Eplan. "By collaborating with leading companies in the industry, Purdue will further enhance its excellent reputation, while Rittal and Eplan look forward to gaining valuable insights from cutting-edge research. Purdue students will be the engineers who bring forward-looking concepts to the US economy and use their knowledge to drive the next wave of industrial innovation. We are proud to invest in talent that will move the world forward.‘

Real value creation with industrial AI

’The US economy has great growth opportunities," Seitz continues. ‘A deep understanding of digitally driven automation with high-quality data is the key to unlocking this growth, especially in times of skilled labour shortages. Domain knowledge forms the basis for the next level: real value creation with industrial AI. The partnership lays the foundation for this.’

Networking opportunities with executives

The partnership is already opening up opportunities for students. Purdue students developed a final project that was presented last autumn in the innovation area of the Rockwell Automation Fair. Rittal and Eplan sponsored the project and also invited more than 100 Purdue students to the internationally relevant event to offer them networking opportunities with industry executives. To further strengthen the cooperation, executives from Rittal and Eplan are joining the advisory board of the Purdue Polytechnic Dean's Office.

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