Smart Manufacturing

Constantly, new technologies are being introduced to the market – and in some cases they even manage to find their way into our production systems. Regarding the current trends of Industry 4.0, many new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics, or Additive Manufacturing are emerging but need to be managed well at the same time. Particularly in their early stages, it is important to study them on a conceptual and experimental level to better understand their potentials.

Against this backdrop, our research covers a high number of topics and takes different views. From an organizational perspective: We ask how manufacturing firms can access and share knowledge that is relevant for the successful implementation of new technologies. In doing so, we work with companies and empirical data to answer such questions.

Further, we do also look at specific technologies, studying their use in manufacturing plants. One of our research projects focuses for example on the emerging trend of using drones in manufacturing operations. In a first stage of this research project, we conceptually analyze its challenges and benefits. In the second stage, we test selected applications of drones in real-life settings with our industrial partners as can be seen in the following: