A strong partner network – a stimulus for the region

Display of the partner logos on a map of Germany

The SAFIR network partnership is mainly focused on THI – a university of applied science with a strong research profile as well as proven expertise in the HRK research area of vehicle and road safety – and also specialised SMEs and suppliers in the field of vehicle safety. The SAFIR innovation partnership relies on close networking between industry and science in research and development topics. Starting with the brainstorming with large companies and specialized SMEs, the process continues with the research of basic principles with university and non-university research institutions, through the individual development steps, to the introduction of series production and finally to professional disposal. The IFG Ingolstadt, as a company of the city of Ingolstadt for location and business development, supports SAFIR as a municipal project partner in the field of autonomous mobility in urban areas. This interdisciplinarity of the partners makes it possible to integrate the specific know-how into the different product phases with the effect that the entire product life cycle is covered.

The research partnership currently comprises 22 partners: besides 15 core partners, there are also seven further so-called associated partners from science and industry. The network includes the existing and planned research infrastructure of the CARISSMA research facility as well as the test tracks for autonomous driving (A9 motorway section A9; “first mile” Ingolstadt) and the OEM vehicle test site. As a test field for networked mobility, the city and region aim to strengthen the international competitiveness of regional companies. Ingolstadt is supposed to support CARISSMA as an experimental area for networked mobility, as well as to strengthen innovation in regional companies and start-ups.

Figure: The Participants of the official kick-off event for the research partnership at THI on 4 July 2017 — The Participants of the official kick-off event for the research partnership at THI on 4 July 2017

The city of Ingolstadt is a member of the European Metropolitan Region of Munich (EMM), with which the SAFIR partnership is aligned. The EMM is one of the world's leading automotive locations with a network consisting of Audi and BMW, automotive suppliers, engineering service providers, and also a range of research and development facilities with an automotive focus.

Even though SAFIR is primarily a regional network with supra-regional appeal, it will be successively embedded in European and international networks. Since 2017, SAFIR professors, or their staff, have regularly participated in various working groups of the EARPA Meetings in Brussels and use this platform for active networking with automotive-oriented development and research institutions. Further international connections and synergies arise in particular with AWARE, which once started as a German-Brazilian automotive network and was institutionalised as the Bavarian Center for Applied Research and Technology with Latin America at the beginning of February 2020.

Partner meetings such as networking events, innovation forums or workshops are held regularly to promote a personal and constant exchange among SAFIR stakeholders.

Figure: With the help of the World Café method, the participants of the ideas workshop in May 2019 jointly develop new project ideas — With the help of the World Café method, the participants of the ideas workshop in May 2019 jointly develop new project ideas

The network event in June 2019 was focused on the strategic orientation for the intensification phase and the expectations of the partners regarding the SAFIR network (Source: THI)

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