AND THE EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE

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Excellence Initiative in Germany

Contents

On 23 June 2005, the German federal andstate governments agreed on an initiative topromote top-level research in Germany. TheExcellence Initiative aims to strengthen scien-ce and research in Germany and to improvethe quality of German universities and rese-arch institutions, thereby making a significantcontribution to strengthening science andresearch in Germany in the long term, im-proving its international competitiveness andraising the profile of the top performers inacademia and research. The total budget ofthe initiative is € 1.9 billion for the period2006 through 2011, which will be split bet-ween three lines of funding:

Plans include the establishment of appro-ximately 40 graduate schools, each to recei-ve an average of € 1 million annually, andapproximately 30 clusters of excellence, whichwill each receive an average of € 6.5 million

annually. The third line of funding (institutio-nal strategies) is contingent on the successfulestablishment of at least one cluster of excel-lence and at least one graduate school. Thefunding period is five years.

Universities were eligible to submit pro-posals in two rounds of funding. The initiati-ve encourages cooperation with non-univer-sity research institutions. The first round wasannounced in 2005 and winners were selec-ted in October 2006. The second round wasannounced in 2006 and final funding decisi-ons were made in October 2007. The two-stage proposal process consisted of draft pro-posals and final proposals, both of whichwere evaluated by international review panels.RWTH Aachen University received reco-gnition for three Clusters of Excellence,one Graduate School as well as its Institu-tional Strategy.

Foreword

Funding Line of the Excellence Initiative for Institutional Strategies to promote top-level university research:“RWTH 2020 – Meeting Global Challenges” Approval 2007 Page 4

Funding Line of the Excellence Initiative: Graduate School“Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science” (AICES)Approval 2006 Page 12

Funding Line of the Excellence Initiative: Cluster of Excellence“Integrative Production Technology of High-Wage Countries”Approval 2006 Page 18

Cluster of Excellence“Ultra High-Speed Mobile Information and Communication” (UMIC)Approval 2006 Page 24

Cluster of Excellence“Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”Approval 2007 Page 28

Imprint

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Foreword

The announcement of the Excellence Initiativeresults at the RWTH Guesthouse on 19 October2007: State Secretary of the NRW Ministry ofInnovation Dr. Michael Stückradt, NRW Ministerof Innovation Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, RWTH

Rector Professor Dr. Burkhard Rauhut,Parliamentary State Secretary of the FederalMinistry for Education and Research ThomasRachel, and Lord Mayer of the City of AachenDr. Jürgen Linden (from left).

among the German universities is bindingand at the same time encouraging. At anyrate, this results in the technical profilingas well as in an increased visibility of theUniversity in Germany and abroad. Withthis, the German academia in general andRWTH Aachen University in particular areequipped for the international competitionbetter than ever before.

This means that we have to take thechance. Let us maintain this positive atmos-phere of awakening on the way to anintegrative interdisciplinary university ofthe future.

University Professor Dr. Burkhard RauhutRector

The Excellence Initiative of the Germanfederal and state governments to promotetop-level research and improve the qualityof German universities and research insti-tutions has provided universities with themost valuable opportunity to approachimportant trendsetting topics with a speci-al intensity.

At RWTH Aachen University, this pro-cedure stimulated a dynamic process whichhas initiated critical and constructive dis-cussions and taken interdisciplinary team-work to a totally new level of quality.Taking a close look at the core competen-ces of the University and the self-criticalanalysis of its strengths and weaknesseshave produced sustainable dynamics.

The success of RWTH AachenUniversity with a total of three Clusters ofExcellence, one Graduate School and theInstitutional Strategy is both an incentiveand a challenge. To be in a top position

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Third Funding Line of the Excellence InitiativeThe Institutional Strategy of RWTH Aachen University:“RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges”

The long-term goal of RWTH AachenUniversity is the transition to an inte-grated interdisciplinary university oftechnology. The Institutional Strategyof the RWTH represents the first stepof a strategic university developmentplan. In the next five years, the Uni-versity will pursue the goal to focus allof its research activities and to deve-lop and improve internal and externalcooperation and networks.

The Institutional Strategy is basedon long-term goals which will be rea-ched by corresponding target-orien-ted, coherent and interlinked measu-res. In the next ten to 15 years, RWTHAachen University will pursue the fol-lowing goals:

Sharpening the profile of theRWTH as an integrated university oftechnology: – By shifting the focus of the entireUniversity to its core competences – By empowering the faculties to contribute to this process– By actively promoting interdiscipli-nary cooperation between the faculties

Mastering the research challengeswith high social and global relevance

Recruiting and committing excellentstudents, teachers and researchers ona long-term basis.

Attaining a leading position amongGerman universities in the areas ofGender and Diversity

Enhancing the international orien-tation, the international influence andreputation.

RWTH Aachen University assumes atop-position in engineering at both anational and international level. Forthe future, the RWTH’s goal is to notonly strengthen its existing strengths butto sharpen the profile of each individualfaculty and to launch a faculty-relatedtransformation process. In this way,the research activities will be focusedon the core competences of the uni-versity while at the same time focu-sing on the individual profile of theindividual faculty.

This process of change requires afundamental change of strategy wit-hin the university governance with thegoal to promote the development ofnew (top-level) research areas throughinstitutional measures and structures.However, the RWTH will not introdu-ce one specific form of institutional re-form, but aims for a “culture of change”as fundamental principal of scientificcreativity, technological innovationand social advancement. In this con-text, it developed new governanceprinciples:

Competition at all levels of the University

Flexible funding structuresEstablishment of creative unrest

and Utilisation of synergies and

cooperation.

In the next five years, the University will pursue the goal to focus all of its research activities and to develop and improve internal and external cooperation and networks.

The Institutional Strategy of RWTHAachen University consists of fourcoordinated measures:

1. Sharpening the Scientific Profile ofthe university by strengthening thenatural sciences and promoting inter-disciplinary research

2. Forming a Strategic AllianceAachen-Jülich JARA

3. Mobilising People – Introduction ofa University-wide personnel and orga-nisational development policy and

4. Enhancing Corporate Governance

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For the future, it the RWTH’s goal is to not only strengthen its existing strengths but to sharpen the profile of each individual faculty and to launch a faculty-related transformation process.

Measure 1: Sharpening theScientific ProfileThis measure is divided into two parts:“Strengthening the natural sciences”and “Fostering interdisciplinary rese-arch.

The sub-measure Strengtheningthe Natural Sciences serves to enhan-ce and restructure the natural sciencesas one of the core competences of theRWTH in order to ensure a basis forthe sustainable exchange with enginee-ring. One of the essential aspectsunderlying these considerations is theintensification of the push-pull-effects,in which the natural sciences providenew impulses to engineering (“push”)and react to the requirements ofengineering (“pull”). In addition,excellent young researchers shall berecruited with adequate funding andinnovative ideas shall be generated.The realisation of these goals will takeplace by means of three instruments:

Seed Fund for equipment and infra-structure

Establishment of junior professors-hips in currently unoccupied researchareas; half of these professorships willbe transformed into tenure-track posi-tions

Undergraduate Funds for theFaculty Departments, in order toensure the inclusion of students inresearch projects.

In the sub-measure “Fostering inter-disciplinary research” the establish-

ment of a structured strategy processshall incite the identification and esta-blishment of future interdisciplinaryresearch fields.

In particular the stronger integrati-on of the Faculty of Arts and Huma-nities and the Faculty of Business andEconomics is in the fore of this activi-ty. An additional growth area will beestablished in molecular and enginee-ring sciences.

In a first step, new structures willbe set up which enable room for crea-tivity and generation of new trendset-ting ideas. To this end, the ExploratoryResearch Space @ RWTH Aachen (ERS),will be established as a physical placeto generate ideas. These ideas will besupported by a Seed Fund and trans-formed into Pathfinder Projects of sixto 12 months of runtime. PathfinderProjects can be established as ProjectHouses after this time and be financedby a Boost Fund. They will run for abouttwo to three years. Once Project Housesprove to be sustainable, they may beestablished as Research Centres afterthis period and financed to a largeextent by third party funding. Thesefour elements are supported by clearlydefined governance and decision-making structures.

In the initial phase, two ProjectHouses will be established:

Human Technology (HumTec): ThisProject House will host top-level inter-disciplinary research between theFaculty of Arts and Humanities andthe engineering and the natural scien-

7ces within the two research areas“Values, Norms, Governance” and“Behaviour, Communication,Acceptance”.

Interdisciplinary ManagementPractice (IMP): IMP serves the interdi-sciplinary cooperation between busin-ess studies, economics and the coreresearch areas of RWTH AachenUniversity. In the Project House, thescientists will develop two researchareas: “International Production Net-works” and “Bringing Technologies to Markets”.

Measure 2: Jülich-Aachen ResearchAlliance (JARA)RWTH Aachen University and the Re-search Centre Jülich (FZJ) have con-cluded a strategic cooperation agree-ment for future growth areas. This struc-tural concept of a novel cooperationpolicy consists of a bilateral coordinati-on of strategic decisions at governancelevel, joint development of structuralplans and research programmes, jointselection and appointment of profes-sors (RWTH) and directors (FZJ), jointutilisation of resources and equipment,joint teaching in international Master’sdegree programmes and doctoral stu-dies, as well as a career programmefor students and young scientists.

The JARA agreement will be expan-ded with further sections by correspon-ding agreements. The JARA conceptshall serve as a model for similar part-nerships with extra-university instituti-

ons. The international integration ofJARA will first take place through ex-change programmes with doctoralstudents, funding allocation for youngresearchers (for example to participatein international conventions), a post-doc programme to recruit internatio-nal post-docs and a sabbatical pro-gramme for visiting researchers.

In the initial phase, JARA is dividedinto three thematic sections:

JARA-SIM: Simulation Science

JARA-BRAIN: Translational Brain Medicine

JARA-FIT: Fundamentals of Future Information Technology.

Each JARA section is headed by aSteering Committee and supported bya Scientific Advisory Board. On 8November 2007, a contract was sig-ned for the foundation of a furtherJARA Section in the area of energy.

JARA-SIM:The Section JARA-SIM deals with thefurther development of modelling,simulation and optimisation techni-ques. JARA-SIM combines excellent

8 research in engineering and the natu-ral sciences with the education ofexcellent young researchers in thearea of simulation. The Center forComputational Engineering Science,the Graduate School AICES fundedwithin the Excellence Initiative, andthe German Research School forSimulation Science (GRS) are integra-ted in this Section. This cooperationprovides the opportunity to make useof the worldwide top-class super-com-puter infrastructure of the FZJ.

JARA-BRAIN:The goal of JARA-BRAIN is to developa new strategy for the prevention, dia-gnoses and therapy of psychologicaland neurological brain diseases and toquickly transfer the results to clinicaltrial, application and prevention. Anelement of this Section is the esta-blishment of “Clinical Scientists” whoconnect the clinical competences inthe area of psychiatric and neurologi-cal diseases with knowledge of neu-roscientific imaging. The establishmentof several junior professorships willserve the introduction of such positions.

JARA-FIT: Within JARA-FIT, the cooperation inthe area of future systems of informa-tion technology will be taken to a newquality level. As previous technologieswill reach their physical and technolo-gical limits in the near future, newmaterials and concepts will be develo-ped and researched. In addition to theparticipating institutes of the ResearchCentre Jülich and RWTH AachenUniversity, two junior research groupswill be established to form a bridge inthe areas of theory and experimentbetween these institutions.

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It is essential to recognise cultural diversity as resource and to integrated it in all areas of the University in order to recruit highly-qualified students and scientists at an international level and to retain them at the University.

Measure 3: Mobilising PeopleThe goal of the measure „MobilisingPeople“ is to introduce a coherentpersonnel and organisational develop-ment policy in consideration of thediversity approach. It is essential torecognise cultural diversity as resourceand to integrate it in all areas of theUniversity in order to recruit highly-qualified students and scientists at aninternational level and to retain themat the University. The main issue ofthis measure is the establishment ofthe staff unit “Integration Team onHuman Resources, Gender andDiversity Management”. In order topromote equality and cultural diversityin teaching, research and administrati-on, the team will produce an overviewon people-related activities at theRWTH – from recruiting students tosupporting alumni – to contribute to abetter coordination of existing activi-ties and to close identified gaps withthe development of adequate pro-grammes.

“Mobilising People” will start withfive programmes:

MINT Cooperation Programme: This programme comprises two aspects.On the one hand, it will support doctoral theses in the area “Genderand Diversity” and didactical doctora-tes at the interface between schooleducation and current research inengineering. These topics will be inte-grated through teacher’s education.On the other hand, a targeted recruit-ing policy aims to motivate morepupils and especially female pupils forthe so-called MINT subjects (mathe-matics, informatics, natural sciencesand technology) during the transitio-nal phase between school and univer-sity, and to recruit them for studies. To this end, the Summer Schools pre-pared for by doctoral students will becomplemented by mentoring program-mes (SchoolTANDEM, TANDEMkids).

10 UROP: In the “Undergraduate ResearchOpportunities Programme” 30 success-ful students per year may apply forproject-related funding to complete apractical project at an institute. A data-base for RWTH students is the basis ofthe programme which is also offered tostudents from partner universities inthe USA and Canada.

Recruitment of highly-talented academics through a proactive inter-national recruiting concept: The programme focuses on therecruitment of talents at graduate and doctoral students levels, and onmeasures for a targeted recruitment of professors. These measures shallpropel the internationalisation of the faculties.

Starter Kits: Starter Kits are training modules fornewly-appointed professors and per-sons in future leadership positions atthe University (Dean’s offices, depart-ments, etc.). The module comprise awide range of offer in the area of uni-versity management, teaching, lea-dership competence and others. Dual Career Programme: In cooperati-on with the City of Aachen, the Uni-versities of Bonn and Cologne, the Re-search Centre Jülich and other coope-ration partners, partners of newly-appointed scientists at the RWTH aregiven the opportunity to temporaryemployment.

Measure 4: EnhancingCorporate Governance

With this measure, the RWTH intro-duces a reformation process at gover-nance level in which the decision-making processes and resource alloca-tion systems is redefined according tonew governance principles.

The core elements of the governancestructures are:

The establishment of a Strategy Board:The existing governance structures willbe enhanced by a Strategy Board, whichwill serve as core trigger and coordi-nation tool between Rectorate and theFaculties and secure the implementationof the strategic coals of the university,advise the university regarding theirfuture plans and identify potential fu-ture growth areas. The Strategy Boardis composed of highly-renowned scien-tists of the University.

11Professionalisation of Faculty Mana-gement and flexible performance-ori-ented resource allocation for newly-appointed professors: The introductionof new administrative personnel at thefaculties and an exchange of experi-ences between the Central UniversityAdministration and the Faculties shallpromote a further professionalisationof Faculty Management. The equip-ment for newly-appointed professorswill be tied to the success in researchand teaching.

New funding allocation policy tofinance new ideas and to shape theprofile of the core research areas ofthe RWTH: Within this activity, newinternal funding alternatives such as“Seed Funds” to promote new andhigh-risk activities, “Boost Funds” toenhance and consolidate established,major activities, and a “Bonus Funds”to recompense scientists and resear-chers as motivation to apply for high-profile, peer-reviewed third party fun-ding.

A targeted quality managementand controlling system will ensure thesustainability of the Institutional Stra-tegy also after the funding period ofthe Excellence Initiative. The RWTH isconvinced to considerably promoteresearch with these measures and to

substantially improve its competitiven-ess at an international scale. In thisrespect, the Excellence Initiative hasprovided RWTH Aachen Universitywith important impulses on its way toan integrated interdisciplinary universi-ty of technology, and now enables aconsistent realisation of the Strategy.The dynamics of this concentrateddeparture into a research and sciencelocation of tomorrow must be usedand integrated into the measuresdescribed above.

Project Group Excellence Initiative

12 When it comes to the topic Compu-tational Engineering Science, severalinstitutes of RWTH Aachen Universityare proud to look back to a long tradi-tion of constructive cooperation. TheGraduate School „Aachen Institute forAdvanced Study in ComputationalEngineering Science“ (AICES) combi-nes the broad technical expertise ofthese institutes in research and tea-ching. The scientific focus of AICES ison analysis and design of technicalsystems in the application areas of theparticipating institutes: materials scien-ces, chemical engineering, transport,electrical engineering, biomedical engi-neering and geosciences. The solutionof underlying inverse and multi-scaleproblems requires the employment ofinnovative computer-aided methodsfor the development of mathematicalmodels, interconnection of models ofdifferent time and length scales, andoptimal design and operation of com-plex technical systems.

The graduate programme offersBachelor’s graduates an accelerated doc-toral procedure by combining a course-und point-based Master’s phase withan intense supervision of the doctora-te. An important element of the Gra-duate school is the all-encompassingsupport of independent young resear-cher groups. AICES establishes threegroups and offers new and existing

The Graduate School „Aachen Institute for AdvancedStudy in Computational Engineering Science“ (AICES)trains highly-qualified doctoral candidates

junior research group leader the oppor-tunity to provide doctoral stipendsfrom AICES budget. All doctoral sti-pends granted by AICES are providedthrough an internal competitive selec-tion procedure. In this process, theselection of especially qualified docto-ral students is binding.

AICES is supported by existing acti-vities at the RWTH in the area Compu-tational Engineering Science (CES),therein, the established Bachelor’s andMaster’s study programme, which isalso open to AICES participants. TheCenter for Computational EngineeringScience (CCES) serves as focal pointfor the research and project activities.Ultimately, the Graduate School pro-fits from the new university-wide im-provements of doctoral studies.

The AICES programme aims for anintegrative and highly interdisciplinary,research-oriented training programmefor excellent students. This program-me runs alongside the traditional doc-torate programmes in the natural scien-ces and mechanical engineering. AICESoffers all participants the opportunityto build solid experiences with newconcepts of doctoral studies. A sub-stantial number of doctoral candidatesof the participating institutes will beintegrated in the AICES structure.

Besides the established analyticaland experimental scientific approa-

The Shorter and MoreCoordinated Path to a Doctorate

Computer simulations and new visualisationtechniques of the Graduate School AICES helpdetect the origins of blood damage in mechani-cal assistance systems for hearts. In the picture,the prototype of an implantable blood pump.

An important element of the Graduate School is the all-encompassing support of independent young researcher groups.

The AICES programme aims for an integrative and highly interdisciplinary, research-oriented training programme for excellent students.

14 ches, computational engineering playsan increasingly important role and hasestablished itself as the third pillar inresearch and development. The follo-wing development trends for the areaof computational engineering are cur-rently foreseeable:

Growing complexity of physical andtechnical systems (complexity)

The observation of the increasingnumber of interactive time and lengthscales (multi-scales)

The discussion of the increase ininteracting, interlinked physical phe-nomena (multi-physics)

The search for optimal drafts andlayout of technical systems (optimisa-tion).

In order to deal with these trends, theGraduate School promotes computa-tional engineering in three decisiveareas:

1. Model identification supported bymodel-based draft and model-basedevaluation of experiments (MEXA)

2. Methods to investigate scale inter-actions and scale networking

3. Methods to optimise technicalsystems.

These different goals have in commonthat they are examples of inverse pro-blems. Inverse problems differ fromdirect analytical problems which haveformed a corner stone in research andtechnology in the past decades. Indirectly computer-aided analytical pro-blems the systems output is determi-ned as result of given system charac-teristics and of the inputs in directanalogy to an experimental analysis.In the case of inverse problems howe-ver, system inputs, parameters andother characteristics are determinedbased on the observation and theresults indicators of an actual systemor the given specifications of a techni-cal system with desired measure-ments.

The AICES curriculum responds toknown points of criticism regardingdoctoral studies: the relatively highage range of the doctoral students,isolation during the doctoral thesisproduction and inadequate internatio-nal experience. Some initiatives, forexample Research Training Groups orCollaborative Research Centres withother doctoral students group disarmthe points of criticism and improve theenvironment for doctorates at theindividual institutes. The GraduateSchool AICES aims to combine exi-sting efforts with a coherent frame-work, in order to offer a best possiblesupport to the entire research are CES.AICES offers a programme which is

One of the core elements of AICES is the establishment of a supervising team for each doctoral student.

Within the framework of the Graduate SchoolAICES, scientists of the Aerodynamics Instituteare occupied with the noise reduction potentialfor wings and jet engines of a passengeraircraft. Here, the most important tool is thenumerical flow simulation.

interesting for students worldwidewho can show evidence of a Bachelor’sor higher degree in the areas of mathe-matics, natural sciences or enginee-ring. For participants of the program-me, including the AICES scholarshipholders, the production of the Master’sthesis will be combined with the firststeps of doctorate research and focus-sed on the topic of the future doctoral

thesis. The doctoral programme isdesigned according to the third phaseof the Bologna Process.

One of the core elements of AICESis the establishment of a supervisingteam for each doctoral student. Theteam comprises one responsible super-visor (junior researcher), one co-super-visor (professor), one mentor (an ex-perienced doctoral student), and a mem-

16 ber of the AICES Service Team. A spe-cial team secures the intense supervisi-on at all levels. Junior researchers areinvolved as supervisors to intensify thecontact to the doctoral students, toaccompany them while promoting theindependence of the young researchers.An addition support is provided by theAICES Service Team on location.

The Graduate School will first esta-blish two, and later three junior rese-arch groups. This shall take place intopical areas which run alongside exi-sting research projects in order togenerate new cooperation. It is con-ceivable to introduce topics such asoptimisation of distributed systems,continually discrete optimisation andnew areas of system analysis. Thesejunior researchers are granted onePHD position, occupied by an AICESscholarship holder. Additional PHDpositions may be awarded within acompetitive process and the groupleaders are encouraged to establishtheir own externally funded researchprojects. The position of the junior

research group leader will be adverti-sed at an international level. Just likein the Emmy Noether Programme ofthe German Research Foundation, thejunior research groups are integratedin institutes that are connected tothem thematically.

Marek Behr, Nicole Faber

Professor Dr. Marek Behr is the Head of the Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems and Scientific Director of the Graduate School “Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering” (AICES)

Nicole Faber, M.A. is the Managing Director of the Graduate School

Internet: www.aices.rwth-aachen.de

Computable models support the design ofminiaturised, implantable blood pumps. In thepicture, a titan impeller of 10,000 revolutionsper minute which requires a specific design inorder to reduce the affect on the blood cells.

18 Production businesses from high-wagecountries are increasingly coming un-der pressure by low-wage countries inglobal competition. This is for examplereflected in the increased relocationsof production volumes. This processputs prosperity in Europe at risk.

With respect to a Europe-wide tran-sition to a service society the strongdependency of services within the in-dustrial environment from local pro-duction must be taken into considera-tion. The same applies to research anddevelopment. The movement of pro-duction therefore also leads to a sub-sequent relocation of service, researchand development activities. Especiallyin Germany, production is given a special role. About 45 per cent of the employees subject to social insu-rance contribution are assigned toindustry. 6.7 million employees or 25per cent work in manufacturing indu-stry. Further 4 million (15 per cent) are employed in trade, which is closelyconnected to manufacturing industryin various areas.

In order to ensure the subsistenceof the Western production locationsand their actionability within the com-petition, countries with high costs oflabour cannot be the ones committedto a stress of competition but theymust actively design the competitivearena.

In order to reach these goals, the“integrative production technology”will be developed at RWTH AachenUniversity within the Cluster ofExcellence funded by the Germanfederal and state governments.

Through the resolution of the essentialareas of conflicts in the challenges ofproduction, it is intended to make cli-ent- and market-driven individualisedproducts at bulk commodity pricesand minimum planning effort. Tailoredspecifically to high-wage countries,concepts and methods will be develo-ped for alterable organisations andtechnologies in production systems,which address all production factorsincluding manpower, thus realisingsignificant competitive advantage forhigh-wage countries.

The competition between produ-cers in high- and low-wage countriestypically occurs in two areas of con-flict: Planning efficiency and produc-tion profitability. In terms of produc-tion profitability low-wage countrieshave mainly focused on economies ofscale; in high-wage countries there isa positioning between economies ofsale and economies of scope.

In the second dimension, planningefficiency, the producers from high-wage countries strive towards a conti-nuous optimisation of the processeswith relevant exigent, capital-intensiveplanning instruments and productionsystems, while in low-wage countriesthe producers aim for simple, robustvalue-stream-oriented process chainsas solution.

In order to achieve a sustainablecompetitive edge for production loca-tions in high-wage countries, a merebetter position within the two areas ofconflict economies of scale versus eco-nomies of scope, as well as planning-orientation versus value-orientation

New Chances for Industrial LocationsCluster of Excellence “Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries”

A digital planning table in the Cluster of Excellence “IntegrativeProduction Technology forHigh-wage Countries”:Scientists of the Laboratory for Machine Tools (WZL) support companies with new plans for factories.

does not suffice. In fact, the key tostrengthening the competitiveness ofhigh-wage countries consists in a dis-solution of the areas of conflict to alarge extent which form the so-calledpolylemma of production.

The structuring and operation oftoday’s product generation chainsrequires the coaction of a number offactors. In the process, competitiven-ess is substantially affected by thelevel reached with the horizontal andvertical integration of production

With the help of a CAD-CAM system, theInstitute of Metal Forming produces prototypesand series of complicated sheet metal buildingcomponents in a timely and economic mannerwithin the framework of the Cluster ofExcellence “Integrative Production Technologyfor High-Wage Countries”.

chains. The five essential areas of aproduction chain are the organisationof production facilities, productionmachines and automation, processtechnologies, materials, and informati-on technology. The quality and achie-vement potential of a production chain,meaning the business and productionprocesses, are determined by the indi-vidual interacting factors across all fiveareas. Interdisciplinarity and integrati-vity are therefore key factors for a pro-duction technology for high-wage

In order to ensure the subsistence of the Western production locationsand their actionability within the competition, countries with highcosts of labour cannot be the ones committed to a stress of competi-tion but they must actively design the competitive arena.

Virtual production systems, developed withinthe Cluster of Excellence “IntegrativeProduction Technology for High-WageCountries” increase competitiveness – here, amachine tool is construed virtually.

countries and associated dissolution ofthe polylemma of production techno-logy.

The integrative production techno-logy therefore considers the coactionand interplays of the relevant factorsof a production system while focus-sing on the development of necessaryapproaches, methods and technolo-gies which enable a realisation of inte-grative approaches to dissolve thepolylemma of production technologyin operational practice. To this end,

coherent specification and explanatorymodels, as well as proper design appro-aches and methods with the tools andtechnologies necessary for implemen-tation. The long-term goal is the deve-lopment of a holistic scientific theoryof production science.

The expansion of value-added pro-duction activities in high-wage coun-tries requires a stronger focus on pro-duction-scientific research in relevantareas of activities. In the process, theevaluation of research findings will

22 also consider the economic relevancebesides quality of results. This criterionincludes an evaluation of the sectorfocus and the importance of the cho-sen sector for economy, as well as theconsideration of practice-relevant requi-rements from everyday industrial life. In the outline below, the focus is the-refore on some sectors of productionindustry which are primarily relevantfor Germany to better clarify theapproaches of an integrative produc-tion technology. These are:

Automotive industry: Automobile production including the preceding value added chains of the suppliers

Aviation industry: Development, production, processing and assembly of aircrafts and their components

Machine and facility: Engineering Power engineering: Production of the components ofcompressors and turbines

These sectors represent almost 30 percent of the net production value wit-hin the manufacturing industry in Ger-many, and they belong to the high-technology sectors in production tech-nology. Besides the sector-orientedfocusing, there is the issue of relevantproduct segments of a productiontechnology in high-wage countries.Here, it must be distinguished be-tween two perspectives:

Production technology as product: Production technology may be percei-ved as a product sold worldwide interms of machines, tools, informationtechnology and relevant services.

Production technology as means to create products: This perspective focuses on the pro-duction system in high-wage countrieswhich is designed to create variousproducts. It comprises different aspectsof the above production factors.

Interdisciplinarity and integrativity are therefore key factors for a production technology for high-wage countries and associated dissolution of the polylemma of production technology.

23A sustainable, successful strategy forthe development of production indu-stry in high-wage country should con-sider these two perspectives in equalmeasure. Production technology deve-loped in high-wage countries mustaddress both the markets in high-wagecountries and in low-wage countries.In addition, it deals with finding designconcepts to develop sustainable com-petitive advantages for productionindustry in high-wage countries.

Christian Brecher, Frank Possel-Dölken, Lutz Schapp

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecheris the speaker of the Excellence Cluster

„Integrative Production Technology for High-wage Countries” and Chair ofMachine Tools

Dr.-Ing. Frank Possel-Dölken is the coordinator of the Excellence Cluster

Dipl.-Ing. Lutz Schapp will assume the coordination of the Excellence Cluster in January 2008

Internet: www.production-research.de

The long-term goal is the development of a holistic scientific theory of production science.

24 In the early 90’s, mobile phone werestill devices that were used exclusivelyby a small group consisting of businesspeople. The Internet was just made avai-lable to the public, and in 1993 the firstgraphics-capable web browser resu-med work. Today, around 15 yearslater, there are as many registered mobi-le phone users as there are inhabi-tants, and the Internet is used intensi-vely in private household. The furtherdevelopment of mobile communicati-on systems primarily aims for data ser-vices. In future, mobile data commu-nication will increase considerablecompared to voice communications.The Internet is becoming mobile. Anumber of new “mobile” applicationsand services will develop.

Mobile communication battles withspecial problems compared to landlineaccess. Due to the bandwidth limitati-ons, changing transfer quality andmobility, it is substantially more diffi-cult to transfer high data rates. It iseven more problematic to offer nume-rous users in a smaller, limited areahigh data rates at the same time. To-day’s systems in fact promise values inthe DSL range, namely two megabitsper second, but these values can onlybe reached under ideal conditions, whichare practically never given.

Future mobile information andcommunication systems must reach abetter quality of services than today’ssystems dispose of, in fact in very largescaling. The quality of services is mea-sured, among others, by means of ac-tually reached data rates, short res-ponse times and connection availabili-

ty, and reliability. At the same time,the user fees must be favourable inorder to accept new applications.

Exactly these challenges are facedby the Cluster of Excellence „UMIC“:„Ultra High-speed Mobile Informationand Communication“. Here, furtherdevelopments in the various sub-areaswill bring about substantial improve-ments. In order to reach the necessarygreat progress, it is also important toestablish a close interdisciplinary coo-peration of the involved disciplines.

UMIC research is sustained by three pillars:

“Mobile Applications and Services”deals with ambitious key applicationsand their interactions with mobileradio transmission

“Wireless Transport Platform” comprises radio network architecturesand end devices

“RF Subsystems and SoC Design”deals with the design of highly com-plex analogue and digital circuits.

In all research areas, novel formalmethods and software tools are em-ployed for design, optimisation andoperation of components and sys-tems, which are being researched inthe area “Cross-Disciplinary Methodsand Tools”.

Experience has shown how difficultit is to make prognosis regardingwhich applications and services mightbe successful on the market and which

The Future of Mobile DataCommunicationThe Cluster of Excellence “Ultra High-Speed Mobile Information and Communication” (UMIC)

Architectures of highly integrated systems areone research topic of the Cluster of Excellence“UMIC”. In the picture, a wafer of the Chairfor General Electrical Engineering.

will not be able to succeed. Futuresystems must offer multifaceted utili-sation alternatives. Creative minds willdevelop interesting new applicationson this basis which we may not beable to imagine today. For example,this research area deals with mobilemultimedia communication of highquality or peer-to-peer communicati-on, in which information is providedby a high number of users and in turnis made available to a high number of

users depending on the context. The backbone of future mobile

communication platforms are intelli-gent, mobile, broadband and cost-effective systems, which recognise therelevant environmental conditions andsituations, determine the transmissionforms and adjust them accordingly. Atthe same time, the systems must per-manently compromise between reluc-tant requirements such as data rates,distance and energy intake. In order

26 to be able to offer future high-rate services at acceptable prices,these systems should be produced,installed and operated cost-efficiently.They must therefore be flexible, self-configurative and highly-integrable.

A special challenge for the highestintegration are flexible high-frequencysubsystems, which enable the mobileend device to choose the respectiveoptimal transfer method.

In future, the digital subsystemswill consist of a higher number of par-allel processors (computer core), whichare able to perform a number of diffe-rent signal processing tasks and appli-cations. The design of such complexsystems represents a major challenge.The methods and tools for the designmust therefore undergo a substantialfurther development. As these systemscan only be produced on the basis offuture silicon technologies, it suggestsitself to consider estimated opportuni-ties and disadvantages already now.

Methods and tools that concern allresearch areas of UMIC are, amongothers, behaviour and reliability ofcomplex systems, data protection anddata security, as well as energy effi-ciency. An essential new aspect ofUMIC research is the interdisciplinarycooperation of the groups. On thislevel, the researchers may introducedifferent experiences and perspectivesinto problem analysis, in order to findnew solutions and to use these at alllevels.

An essential element of research inengineering disciplines is the evidenceof feasibility which helps to verify

whether a theoretical improvementprognosis can actually be realised orwhether it is overcompensatedthrough unexpected effects. The con-struction of complete system prototy-pes would go beyond the scope of aresearch cluster. The focus is thereforeon the construction of specially criticaland novel components and the verifi-cation of concepts with scaled proto-types and simulations.

Besides promoting research activi-ties, the Cluster also enables infra-structural enhancement. The UMIClab will move into a new building,where the interdisciplinary researchteams can work together. In addition,the components and simulators develo-ped there, will be integrated into a jointprototype system, which serves researchand helps visitors from industry andscience to understand see how researchwork is done.

Funding for this Cluster will first runfor five years. Already during the timeof the application procedure, renownedcompanies from the mobile communi-cation sector have demonstrated greatinterest in UMIC and announced theirintention to participate in UMIC. It is animportant – and according to the par-ties involved – attainable goal, to ensu-re the continuance of the activities evenwithout public funding and only withthird party funding – a goal which isalso in line with the sustainability ofthe Excellence Initiative.

Gerd Ascheid

A special challenge for the highest integration are flexible high-frequency subsystems, which enable the mobile end device to choose the respective optimal transfer method.

RWTH scientists develop concepts for the nextgeneration of mobile communication. The partial projects of the Cluster of Excellence“UMIC” comprise among others, chip design,transmission technology, radio network archi-tectures and applications.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerd Ascheid is the head of Institute for Ingetrated Signal Provcessing Systems (ISS) and coordinator of the Cluster of Excellence UMIC at RWTH AachenUniversity.

Internet: www.umic.rwth-aachen.de

The UMIC lab will move into a new building, where the interdis-ciplinary research teams can work together. In addition, the com-ponents and simulators developed there, will be integrated into a joint prototype system, which serves research, and helps visitorsfrom industry and science to understand see how research work is done.

28 The increased energy demand andwith it the carbon dioxide emission(CO2) alongside a limited availabilityof fossil energy resources representone of the greatest societal challengestoday. With this, research in the areaof energy utilisation from renewableresources is becoming increasinglyimportant, in order to create a substi-tute for the usage of fossil energyresources.

In the European Union, the trans-port sector accounts for approximately30 % of the total energy consumptionand current forecasts even predict anincrease in energy demand of 14 %for passenger transport and 74 % forfreight transport between 2000 and2030.

Due to its specific requirementsregarding distribution, storage, condi-tioning and combustion, fuels repre-sent a special challenge for the trans-portation sector. Here, it is urgentlyrequired to conduct research in thearea of alternative fuels.

The Cluster of Excellence “Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”(TMFB)takes an interdisciplinary approach toresearch on new synthetic fuels obtai-ned from biomass. Target-orientedsynthetic transformation routes, basedon new catalytic systems and integra-ted production processes with intensi-fied procedural steps towards fuel pro-duction, are being researched in orderto design most efficiently optimisedfuels from biomass. Through the for-mulation of new fuels with tailor-made characteristic, the potential ofefficient and clean low-temperature

combustion procedures for combusti-on engines shall be investigated.

“The definition of tailor-made fuelswith optimal characteristics for newcombustion procedures in considerati-on of the production, represents acombined challenge for chemo- andbio-catalysis, process and systemsengineering, combustion research andengine technology”, says ProfessorStefan Pischinger, coordinator ofRWTH Aachen University’s Cluster ofExcellence “Tailor-made fuels fromBiomass”. With the catalytic transfor-mation of the whole plant (lignocellu-lose) into tailored fuel components,the Cluster of Excellence will providethe basis to introduce the 3rd genera-tion of biomass fuels. These fuels – incontrast to today’s many bio-fuels –will not compete with the food chain.The cross-disciplinary researchapproach follows a model-based pro-cedure: Selected fuel components withtailor-made characteristics are derivedfrom the requirements of the combu-stion process. The definition of thisfuel will depend on the research suc-cess of attractive catalytic transforma-tion routes and the effort put in theirproduction. “Only the close connec-tion of the different disciplines - thatis chemistry, chemical engineering andcombustion engineering – will providethe conditions for a systematic, opti-mal solution, which cannot be presen-ted by only one discipline”, statesProfessor Pischinger.

The joint foundation of the FuelDesign Centre documents the close,interdisciplinary collaboration between

Tailor-Made Fuels from BiomassRWTH Aachen University establishes a Competence Centre for Fuel Design

The Cluster of Excellence “Tailor-Made Fuelsfrom Biomass” is an example for the intensifiedcooperation between engineering and the natural sciences at the RWTH. In the picture, a lab of the Institute for Technical andMacromolecular Chemistry.

the researchers from the Faculty ofNatural Sciences, Mathematics andInformatics and the Faculty ofMechanical Engineering at the RWTHAachen, together with partners fromthe Fraunhofer Institute for MolecularBiology and Applied Ecology (Aachen)and the Max-Planck-Institute fürKohlenforschung (Mülheim), The FuelDesign Centre builds on a long traditi-on of successful research in the rele-vant fields. Approximately 130 of theover 400 Professors are teaching inthe addressed research fields of thenatural and engineering sciences. The

participating institutes base their currentwork in the relevant fields on morethan 500 full-time researchers suppor-ted by more than 400 non-scientificstaff and approximately 250 studentassistants. With the additional budgetgranted, approximately 80 new positi-ons for full-time researchers will befunded to powerfully engage in rese-arch on “Tailor-Made Fuels fromBiomass”. The Cluster of Excellence“Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomassbuilds on an established infrastructureand research results of five Collabora-tive Research Centres, three Research

A combined challenge for chemo- and bio-catalysis, process and systems engineering, combustion research and engine technology

30 Training Groups, and one DFG-fundedPriority Programme. To achieve thescientific vision, the research groupsfrom the Aachen University and itspartner institutions are focusing onthree major integrative research fields:(i) Molecular Transformation, (ii)Reaction and Process Engineering forBiorenewables, and (iii) Fuel Injectionand Combustion.

The integrated research field “Mole-cular Transformation”, headed byProfessor Dr. Walter Leitner, aims forthe targeted conversion of biogenoussubstrates derived from the renewablefeedstock streams cellulose, hemicellu-lose and lignin into the molecular con-stituents of a tailor-made fuel. Theresearch on selected molecular cataly-tic transformation as key technology isthe core of these research activities;“Due to the complexity of requiredmaterials transformations, the comple-mentary advantages of the three mostimportant disciplines – homogeneous,heterogeneous and bio-catalysis –shall be balanced in an integrativeapproach from the molecular to themesoscopical scale, says ProfessorLeitner.

The integrative research field “Reac-tion and Process Engineering for Bio-renewables” addresses key issues inprocess engineering for the transitionto biorenewable feedstock in fuel pro-duction. “Research focuses on thefoundations of integrated processesand intensified units, first, for the sel-ective conversion of biomass to sub-strates and later, for their subsequenttransformation into fuel components”,

31

Research within the Cluster of Excellence“Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”: Adjustmentof the controlling system at the single-cylinderresearch engine at the Chair for CombustionEngines.

32 explains Professor Dr. WolfgangMarquardt, who will direct this rese-arch area.

Norbert Peters, speaker of the thirdintegrated research field “Fuel Injec-tion and Combustion”, explains that“tailor-made fuels from biomass” offera never before opportunity to rede-sign the power transformation processin combustion engines. He adds: “thegreat opportunity to re-consider thecombustion process in combustionengines by using the fuel as a designelement. The two traditional enginetypes, the spark ignition (SI) and thecompression ignition (CI) engine, weredesigned to make use of the lighter orthe heavier fraction of liquid hydrocar-bons which can be distilled from crudeoil. By tailoring the fuel obtained frombiomass to specific engine needs, newengine combustion concepts will bedeveloped which previously could noteven be thought of”.

For CI engines for instance, auto-ignition of higher hydrocarbons, dueto low temperature chemistry, is vie-wed as beneficial but it is harmful forSI engines because the same chemi-stry is responsible for engine knock-ing. Tailor-made fuels having differenttemperature and pressure dependen-cies of auto-ignition chemistry maypossibly avoid that contradiction. “Sincethis feature and other properties differfrom those of conventional fuels, tai-lor-made fuels will allow designing anew combustion process which sharescommon features of future SI and CIengines”, adds Pischinger.

In the cross-disciplinary topic “DuelDesign” all activities of the describedresearch fields are consolidated, inorder to define the tailor-made fuelfrom biomass. The targeted fueldesign requires a joint approach of allresearch fields involved and comprisesthe design of the materials transfor-mation processes and the optimisationof the energetic implementation in thecombustion engine. Only by using asystematic procedure, assisted by sui-table mathematical models andmethods, the vast and unique oppor-tunities in the design of novel fuelscan be exploited. The methods andtools to be investigated not only allowidentifying the promising compoundsamong known ones, but rather aim atthe discovery of novel fuel compo-nents. Here, the Excellence Cluster“Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”strives to created synergies within amethodological and scientific solutionapproach through the consolidation ofcompetences.

As a physical and visible focal pointof the interdisciplinary collaborationand to consolidate the competences, a“Fuel Design Center” will be establis-hed at RWTH Aachen University, whichprovides laboratory space of about1000 m. Two new professorships andfive junior professorships will be set upat the RWTH to ensure structuralsustainability.

To ensure a critical review of theresearch activity, an Advisory Boardwith internationally renowned resear-chers has already been set up during

...will allow designing a new combustion process which shares common features of future SI and CI engines

33the proposal phase. Members of the“International Advisory Board” areresearch institutes such as Princeton,Yale and the MIT, chemical industriessuch as Bayer, petrochemical industriessuch as BP and Shell and automotivecompanies such as Daimler, Ford,Volvo and VW. Consequently, theresearch results will not only be intro-duced quickly into lectures and cour-ses but also transferred into industrialapplication.

In 2008, a first two-day Internatio-nal Workshop on the topic “Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass” will beorganised in Aachen, with invitedspeakers from international renownedinstitutions and industry in the variousaddressed fields besides the resear-chers of the Cluster, in order to esta-blish and maintain a close scientificexchange and

The conditions for the success ofthis ambitious project are ideal at theRWTH. The disciplinary and interdisci-plinary cooperation has long traditionat this University with the largest third-party funding volume in Germany:Over 150 million Euros within a totalbudget of 540 million Euros per year.

Michael Wittler,Martin Müther,Toni Wimmer

Dipl.-Ing. Michael Wittleris senior engineer at the Chair of Combustion Engines

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Müther is the Coordinatior of the Cluster of Excellence“Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass”

Toni Wimmer is the director of the Press and PublicRealtions Office at the RWTH

34

„RWTH Aachen University and the Excellence Initiative“ published on behalf of the Rector of RWTH Aachen Universityby the Press and Public Relations Office Templergraben 5552062 AachenTelephone +49 (0) 241 80-94322Fax +49 (0) 241 80-92324Email pressestelle@zhv.rwth-aachen.deInternet www.rwth-aachen.de

Responsible editorToni Wimmer

TranslatorChristina Marx

Graphic designerKlaus Endrikat

Manuscript productionZahrenDesign, Aachen

Photos Peter WinandyMartin Lux (pages 2/3)Andreas Herrmann (page 5)

Cover picture frontThe Cluster of Excellence “Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass” is an example for the intensified cooperation between engineering and the natural sciences at the RWTH.

Cover picture backScientists of the Graduate School AICES develop methods for real-timeoptimisation, by means of which it ispossible to optimise the workflow of coffee preparation and major chemical procedures.

PrintBrimbergDruck und Verlag GmbH,Aachen

Aachen, December 2007

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