CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT (CIIT)

In the CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT (CIIT) the cooperation between industry and science being frequently demanded is actually put into practice. The CIIT is Germany’s first sciene-to-business-center in the field of Industrial Automation. Under one roof companies acting autonomously on the market and research institutes work and research cooperatively on the linkage between information and automation world.

The field of automation technology is the innovation driver for machine and plant engineering. Germany’s core industry, thus playing an essential part in securing Germany’s position as an important economic location. In joint research projects, within the framework of applied basic research, new technologies for the factory of the future are developed in the CIIT.

A Strong Network – Beyond the Boundaries of the Building
Main drivers and actors from industry and science are, apart from the Institute Industrial IT (inIT) of the OWL University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Application Center Industrial Automation (IOSB-INA) renowned technology companies like Phoenix Contact, Weidmüller, ISI Automation, OWITA, MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik, Bosch Rexroth, Aventics, KEB Automation and KBA-NotaSys. All benefit from the collaboration and extensive technology and know-how transfer at CIIT. The CIIT does also welcome start-up-companies.

The CIIT is one of the three regional centers of excellence in the leading-edge cluster “it’s OWL – Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe”. In the cluster solutions for Industrial Production are developed. Also the “Competence Center for SME 4.0 Dortmund” makes a substantial contribution to positioning the CIIT in the competence area “Intelligent Automation”.

The leading-edge cluster “it’s OWL – Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe” is recognized as one of Germany’s greatest initiatives in the context of Industry 4.0. The Competence Center supports SMEs on their way to Industry 4.0 – the SmartFactoryOWL, Lemgo’s research and demonstration factory, is a central transfer center.

It is not without reason that the CIIT, founded in 2010, is established in the heard of Ostwestfalen-Lippe’s machine engineering region directly on the campus of the OWL University. The proximity to young talents in an innovative research environment offers an immediate advantage for the companies, thus providing ideal conditions for the exchange between industry, research, teaching and science. At the interface between research and industry a significant optimization of the innovation process and the know-how transfer is achieved by introducing new forms of cooperation.

Exchange, communication and a trustful team play when dealing with each other characterize the work and are the basis for success. The CIIT partners have the common interest to conceive new ideas in research projects in order to turn them into further marketable products. Finally they arise by a joint effort – the innovations by which companies will be successful in the future.

Awards
In 2008 the initiative “Innovation and Knowledge” selected the CIIT as leading projects of the OWL region. In 2012 the CIIT was awarded the title “Selected Landmark in the Land of Ideas” by the Federal Government and the Deutsche Bank. This was followed in 2013 by the award “Germany at its best” by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry for Industry, SMEs and Energy. Since 2014 the CIIT is allowed to be a “Place of Progress” awarded by the NRW Ministry for Innovation, Science and Research. In 2016 again the CIIT was awarded the title “Selected Landmark in the Land of Ideas” for its special form of cooperation.

Technology Cluster for Intelligent Automation
More than 350 highly qualified employees are currently working and researching together under one single roof. With the completed extension building of the innovation center the CIIT has doubled its size to 10,000m² in 2015. Offering more space for work and research for CIIT partners and the settlement of further hightech-companies.

Furthermore, on the initiative of the Fraunhofer Application Center IOSB-INA and the OWL University of Applied Sciences a factory of the future was built – the SmartFactoryOWL. In the factory of the future hightech-technologies for intelligent automation are explored, developed and tested. Together with the CIIT, thus a technology cluster for intelligent automation is created in the heart of Ostwestfalen-Lippe.

http://ciit-owl.de