The new technical center with a focus on textile technology and air conditioning at the Münchberg campus was festively opened at the end of September, followed at the beginning of December by the “MakerSpace”, a state-of-the-art workshop for tinkerers and inventors, which is integrated into the “StartupLab Hof” project. Both new facilities at Hof University of Applied Sciences can now look forward to further funding: they are being supported by VR Bank Bayreuth-Hof eG and Genossenschaftsverband Bayern e.V (GVB) – Bezirksverband Oberfranken with 5,000 EUR each. The money will be used to improve the infrastructure on site and, among other things, to teach modern methodologies from the field of Industry 4.0.
“Industry 4.0 is the buzzword for the fourth industrial revolution. Together with digitalization, it is one of the major topics of the future for Germany as a business location. The textile industry, more than almost any other branch of industry, is challenged to implement a modern methodology to optimize its processes. This involves networking the value-added process right through to the traceability of raw materials,” says Prof. Dr. Frank Ficker, head of the Institute of Materials Science (ifm) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, explaining the changes taking place in the textile industry.
Strengthening the infrastructure at the Münchberg campus
In order to enable practical implementation strategies for students in courses, but also for companies in the local textile industry, plans are now being made in Münchberg to implement a digital solution for the traceability of yarns and also include the associated warehouse and data management. “To implement this goal, expansion investments in a barcode scanner, label printer, as well as in a corresponding database are necessary, which ideally complement the systems already in place,” Prof. Dr. Ficker continues. These are made possible by the donation of the cooperative federation Bavaria registered association (GVB) – district federation Upper Franconia with.
Support for start-up project and tinkerer’s workshop
Another 5000 EUR, donated by the VR Bank Bayreuth-Hof from the net proceeds of the VR Gewinnsparverein Bayern e.V., are to benefit in particular the start-up culture in the region within the framework of the project “StartupLab Hof”. Thus, the funds will be used for scientific events, for teaching events, but also for the operation of the newly opened inventor workshop “MakerSpace”. “The funds are very well invested. Among other things, we are planning to use them for a multi-day teaching event in which students can try out innovative working methods in an interdisciplinary, practical and project-specific way,” says Jörg Raithel, coordinator for the StartupLab Hof project.
Reliable partnership
“As a credit institution in the region, we have been supporting Hof University for a long time and are very happy to do so. Once again, we are pleased to be able to make a valuable contribution to education at the cutting edge,” said Jürgen Handke, Chairman of the Board of VR Bank Bayreuth-Hof eG. “Through the double support we have now received, we can take a further step towards future-oriented digitization in research, teaching and industrial technology transfer,” summarizes university president Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann summarizes the upcoming investments.
The donations have now been officially handed over to the Society of Friends and Sponsors of Hof University of Applied Sciences. Its chairman also expressly acknowledges the extraordinary commitment of the donors
Hof University of Applied Sciences and its Friends and Supporters Society would like to thank the GVB District Association of Upper Franconia and VR Bank Bayreuth-Hof eG for their generous donations, which far exceed the normal amount and regularity. This is exemplary and makes it clear how much importance the issue of training young people rightly enjoys there.
Dr. Dorothee Strunz
(Chairwoman of the Society of Friends and Sponsors of Hof University of Applied Sciences)
