Caption: Dr. Elke Luise Barnstedt, Vice President of KIT for Human Resources and Law, Hans-Georg Krabbe, Chief Executive Officer of ABB AG, and Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President of KIT for Innovation and International Affairs, (from left to right) signed the extension of the framework agreement. (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and ABB have been cooperating successfully in the area of research for many years. Now, this cooperation is about to be further intensified and extended. On October 24, 2016, both parties signed the extension of the existing research framework agreement. In addition, the partners strengthen collaboration to promote young talent.
The agreement defines the framework for the further initiation and execution of joint activities in research and innovation. Also publicly funded projects between the research and development units of the partners and concrete research contracts awarded by ABB to KIT are integral constituents of the framework agreement. Among the topics ABB and KIT wish to tackle jointly are building automation, the internet of things, as well as research into future energy grids for the energy transition in Germany.
“Innovations will result only, if science and industry work hand in hand and are sources of inspiration for each other,” says Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President of KIT for Innovation and International Affairs. “This close cooperation is of high priority at KIT, not only in research and innovation, but also in the education of our students.”
“We are pleased to extend our successful cooperation with KIT in research to also cover programs for promoting young talent,” Hans-Georg Krabbe, Chief Executive Officer of ABB AG, says. “For the development of innovations, research expertise of one of the leading technical universities is as important as early cooperation with future young scientists and graduates.”
The planned joint activities will include internships, graduation theses or working student positions offered by ABB. Based on the newly adopted framework agreement, however, additional measures can be implemented much more rapidly and easily. Three students of KIT will benefit from a Germany Scholarship granted by ABB as from this month.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.