AI research at the BTU is developing solutions for industry, agriculture and medicine

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) demonstrates that such solutions are not only emerging in metropolitan regions, but are also being developed in Lusatia. Following seven years of research, it is presenting, together with its partners, specific AI applications that are already being used successfully today in industry, agriculture and medical technology.

With the completion of the “Co-Innovation Platform for Industrial Automation” (KOI) project, the BTU draws a positive conclusion: The artificial intelligence methods developed at the university have been successfully put into practice and are helping companies to make processes more efficient, save materials, reduce energy consumption and optimise supply chains. At the same time, the research is strengthening Lusatia’s capacity for innovation and making an important contribution to the region’s structural transformation.

Research with measurable benefits

The AI methods developed have been tested across a range of sectors – from plant engineering and materials diagnostics to medical technology, and from regional medium-sized companies to international industrial groups. The results demonstrate the immediate benefits of scientific research: in one company, 11 per cent of unnecessary production runs were identified. In another use case, delivery times were reduced from several months to just a few weeks.

“The project results show that artificial intelligence can make a decisive contribution to the competitiveness and sustainability of industrial processes. Today, we can support companies in Lusatia in the fields of agriculture, materials diagnostics, predictive maintenance and medicine with AI-based solutions,” says Prof. Dr Constanze Tschöpe, Head of the Cognitive Materials Analytics Chair at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.

AI for sustainable production, agriculture and medicine

The technologies developed at BTU have an impact far beyond traditional industrial applications. They open up new possibilities for more sustainable production, more efficient use of resources and innovative applications in various areas of life and the economy.

Key developments include:

• AI-supported measurement technology for the precise temperature measurement of molten metals, thereby enabling more energy- and resource-efficient production processes.
• New 3D printing processes that enable the relocation of component production back to Germany, thereby strengthening regional value creation and skilled jobs in Lusatia.
• AI-optimised processes in rail operations and material handling, with the potential for greater energy efficiency and lower operating costs.
• New methods of material diagnostics and artificial intelligence, which now also enable applications in agriculture, medical technology and predictive maintenance.

BTU as a scientific driving force

The scientific basis for the project was established at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. Researchers from various chairs developed new methods in artificial intelligence, materials analysis and data processing, and, in collaboration with companies, translated these into practical applications. BTU played a central role in this as a source of ideas, a research hub and a driver of innovation.

In particular, the Cognitive Materials Analysis chair led by Prof. Dr Constanze Tschöpe, as well as the chairs held by Prof. Dr Matthias Wolff and Prof. Dr Petra Hofstedt, developed new AI methods, including symbolic artificial intelligence techniques, which were successfully tested in industrial applications.

In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institutes IKTS and IPMS, as well as numerous companies in Lusatia, several demonstrators and innovative processes were developed across a total of 13 sub-projects. These include a toolbox for diagnostics to improve the efficiency of conveyor systems, a simulation-based 3D printing process offering significant material savings, and new tracking systems to reduce material shrinkage in steel components.

The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMTR) as part of the “WIR! – Change through Innovation in the Region” funding programme.

A strong innovation network for Lusatia

More than 40 companies and research institutions collaborated on the project. This resulted in 17 new partnerships, four follow-up projects that have already been launched, and more than 24 scientific publications, patents, intellectual property rights and final theses.

“Looking back today at the initiative launched by the BTU and the regional business community seven years ago, we can see that we have got a great deal right here in Lusatia. The results show how the region’s traditional industrial expertise can be linked with modern digital technologies and further developed to tap into new potential for value creation and secure skilled jobs,” says Prof. Dr Hans Rüdiger Lange, initiator of the Industry Automation Co-Innovation Platform.

Research continues

The project’s completion does not mark the end of development. The AI technologies developed at the BTU will be further refined in collaboration with companies through additional research and application projects. The aim is to translate scientific findings into marketable innovations even more quickly and to provide solutions to key societal challenges – ranging from climate-friendly industry and resource-efficient production processes to new applications in agriculture and healthcare.

In doing so, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is underlining its role as a leading research university in the structural transformation of Lusatia and as a driving force behind artificial intelligence “Made in Brandenburg”.

Project profile
Project: Co-Innovation Platform for Industrial Automation (KOI)
Funding programme: WIR! – Change through Innovation in the Region
Funding body: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMTR)
Project partners: Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Fraunhofer Project Group for Cognitive Material Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, as well as other companies and research institutions in Lusatia
Funding amount: €7 million in funding plus €2.5 million in contributions from industry
Duration: 2019–2026