Transformation in the Automotive Industry: New Degree Course Launched for the Future of Networked Mobility

The automotive industry is in transition. The transformation will be achieved through new drive systems, support and services. Developing these is the task of specialists. To this end, IAV, one of the world’s leading engineering partners to the automotive industry, is pursuing a path in collaboration with Mittweida University of Applied Sciences that is unique to the company. IAV is funding two endowed professorships and supports employees in completing a master’s program in “Networked Intelligent Systems” at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences alongside their career. The course is also open to applicants who are not employed at IAV. There are currently 15 students in the first semester, including five from IAV.

“As leading automotive developer, we are a valued partner for our customers in future projects that are critical to success. This is why the training and further education of our employees has always played a central role at IAV,” says Matthias Kratzsch, Chairman of the Management Board of IAV.

“Digitalization, connectivity and automation are the decisive factors, alongside new powertrain technologies, for the future of the automobile, and so for the industry,” says Prof. Jan Thomanek from the Faculty of Engineering at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. Thomanek himself worked in the automotive industry for many years. In his department, he has jointly worked out the course of study “Networked Intelligent Systems” in the master’s program “Electrical Engineering Automation” with the endowed professors Falk Langer and Daniel Kriesten. It bears strong practical relevance and covers topics such as software development, cyber security, artificial intelligence, and connected and automated driving.

“Acquiring data, processing it and high-level connectivity: these are the main tasks of technical development already today, making cars autonomous, safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly,” says Prof. Daniel Kriesten, holder of the “Automotive Software Methods and Technologies” endowed professorship. IAV funds his endowed professorship and that of his colleague Prof. Falk Langer, “Connectivity & Services Automotive Software”, for three years with an option to extend it by another two years. Besides teaching, this also involves joint research. Prof. Thomanek says: “Through the cooperation with IAV, the university has moved even closer to the research matters of industry. We want to leverage this potential with joint research projects and thus also contribute over the long term to safeguarding Germany as an automotive manufacturing location.”

The close cooperation between research and industry brings students into the exchange with companies at an early stage. However, it is also at least just as important to be able to offer an attractive qualification scheme to employees coming from companies. Christian Schreiber is an engineer at IAV, works at the Ingolstadt site and has been studying on the master’s program since the winter term. This is done in combination via online teaching and attendance days in Mittweida. IAV provides Christian Schreiber with the necessary training days and framework conditions so that the course can be completed in the standard two-year study period without any major loss of income. “Of course, studying alongside work creates an additional burden. Apart from the attendance days in Mittweida, I also have to work towards my studies in my everyday working life. But the university has planned it in an outstanding way in terms of content and organization, and for me it’s a valuable investment in the future.”

IAV
Kevin Schrein
Tel.: +49 30 3997-88453
Mobil: +49 172 1901432
E-Mail: kevin.schrein@iav.de

Hochschule Mittweida
Helmut Hammer
Tel.: +49 3727 58-1226
E-Mail: presse@hs-mittweida.de

Employing over 8000 members of staff, IAV is one of the world’s leading engineering partners to the automotive industry. The company has been developing innovative concepts and technologies for future vehicles for over 35 years, generating sales in excess of around € 896 million in 2020. Its customers include all the world’s prominent car manufacturers and component suppliers. Besides vehicle and powertrain development, IAV entered the segment of electric mobility and autonomous driving at an early stage and is now one of the leading engineering service providers in these fields. In addition to its development centers in Berlin, Gifhorn and Chemnitz/Stollberg, IAV also has further operations in Munich, Sindelfingen and Ingolstadt as well as in Europe, Asia and North and South America.

Founded as a private technical college for mechanical engineers in 1865, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is now the largest university of applied sciences in Saxony with 6,900 students. Practical relevance, inventiveness and a thirst for research not only characterize the history of the university with its famous graduates – among them the automobile manufacturers August Horch and Friedrich Opel. Fifty application-oriented and interdisciplinary study programs in technology, natural sciences, computer science, economics, media and social work sciences, including many with implementation variants that allow studies to be combined with work, family or top-class sports, a transfer-strong research with partners from industry and a campus in the middle of the city distinguish the University of Mittweida.

In addition to the two new endowed professorships at the Faculty of Engineering, there are currently 5 other endowed professorships at the university.