Shaping sustainable mobility Students develop concepts for the automotive production of the future
Premiere at the Joint Campus Wolfsburg: From 8 to 12 September, the first Summer School on the “Automotive Circular Economy” will take place. Students from various disciplines will be brought together by Technical University of Braunschweig, the Open Hybrid LabFactory, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and Fraunhofer CCEM to develop ideas for sustainable automotive production.
The automotive industry is facing profound change, which is also evident in Wolfsburg: future vehicles will be developed and produced in such a way that the materials used remain in circulation for as long as possible. This requires new recycling concepts, as well as manufacturing and dismantling processes that consider reuse and recycling from the outset.
Key questions
How can vehicle components be designed to make them easier to repair and recycle? Which robot-assisted processes enable vehicle parts to be efficiently dismantled and returned at the end of their useful life? Which materials are particularly suitable for recycling and reducing resource consumption? What economic effects arise along the recycling chain from raw materials to recycling? Students working in interdisciplinary teams and supported by experts from science and industry are addressing these questions.
The summer school is supported by TU Braunschweig, OHLF e. V., Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Centre for Circular Economy for Mobility CCEM, Volkswagen, the city of Wolfsburg and other partners. Together, they design workshop formats and experiments on an industrial scale, thus conveying direct practical relevance. The programme is supplemented by guest lectures and excursions to regional companies. These provide students with insights into industrial strategies and topics such as production, recycling, and current developments in battery manufacturing.
Significance for Wolfsburg and the region
The development of the Joint Campus Wolfsburg is an important strategic goal of the city of Wolfsburg, forming part of its “Future Concept for Science”. The plan is to establish scientific institutions in the long term to strengthen the city and the region.
Dennis Weilmann, Mayor of the City of Wolfsburg, is therefore delighted about the launch of the first summer school: “An important milestone has been reached in establishing Wolfsburg as a research and training location for the circular economy. By committing to this joint project, we are supporting the transformation of the automotive industry and setting trends for Wolfsburg’s future as a business location.”
Angela Ittel, President of Technical University of Braunschweig: “With the construction and permanent establishment of the campus, we as a university are sending a clear signal – on the one hand for our research focus on mobility and on the other for the forward-looking cooperation between our university and the regional economy.”
Prof. Dr. Ina Schiering, Vice-President for Research, Development and Technology Transfer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, emphasises the importance of the Joint Campus Wolfsburg: “We are delighted to be able to contribute our expertise in the strategically important areas of mobility and the circular economy to this partnership. Even more intensive interdisciplinary cooperation strengthens Wolfsburg as a location, where we at Ostfalia are represented with around 2,400 students in three faculties.”
Ecoversity as a framework
The event also serves as an example of the Ecoversity strategy of Technical University of Braunschweig. Through this future-oriented programme, the university is focusing on networked, interdisciplinary work across faculties and institutional boundaries in order to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges. Ecoversity is embedded in an ecosystem that provides the ideal conditions for socially relevant research and transfer with partners from industry, research, politics and society.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Hecker, Vice-President for Research, TU Braunschweig: “We can only solve the challenges of the automotive circular economy through interdisciplinary cooperation. At the Joint Campus Wolfsburg, we are putting our Ecoversity strategy into practice and empowering the next generation to drive sustainable innovation.”
About the Joint Campus Wolfsburg
The Joint Campus Wolfsburg was established by Technical University of Braunschweig in collaboration with the Open Hybrid LabFactory, the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Society as scientific partners, as well as Volkswagen and the City of Wolfsburg with the support of the State of Niedersachsen. The campus is set to become a regional and international showcase location for the automotive circular economy, offering strong research expertise, as well as study, further education, and transfer programmes.