DIGITALIZATION - THE GAME CHANGER
Fraunhofer Office India had organized the 5th edition of its biennial flagship event Fraunhofer Innovation and Technology Platform (FIT) on Dec 5th 2018 in Hotel TAJ West End, Bangalore. 5th FIT thematically focused on Digitalization across the sectors Manufacturing, Energy, Buildings, Mobility, Space, Healthcare and Cultural Heritage with a view to catalyze the collaboration in this very important subject between India and Germany. Fraunhofer experts from various Fraunhofer institutes participated and showcased technology needs/solutions from a global perspective and suggested the road ahead for India-Fraunhofer cooperation. 5th FIT 2018 was supported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Govt. of Germany.
The event began with an inaugural plenary session. Ms. Anandi Iyer, Director, Fraunhofer Office India welcomed the gathering and set the context of 5th FIT. Mr. Karl Ehlerding, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bangalore, Dr. Eckart Bierduempel, Head of Multinational Networking, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and Vice President of World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO), Shri. Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, Smt. Sukriti Likhi, Joint Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, Prof. Dr. Thomas Magedanz, Director, Business Unit Software-based Networks, Fraunhofer FOKUS and Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Group CTO, TATA Sons Ltd. were the distinguished personalities who shared their experiences and vision towards Digitalization during this session. The session culminated by a special address delivered by the Guest of Honour Dr. Gunther Grathwohl, Head of International Digital Dialogue, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
Session 1: Digitalization in Manufacturing, Healthcare
Speakers and Topics:
- Mr. Franz-Josef Woestmann, Head of Department - Casting Technology and Lightweight Construction, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Dresden spoke on Casting and Industry 4.0: Possible or pipe dream?
- Mr. Ashish Modi, Director - Center for Research and Application in India (CARIn), Carl Zeiss India Pvt. Ltd., spoke on Applying AI@scale in Healthcare
- Mr. Ashish Bhat, Head of Digital Factories Division, Siemens India Ltd., spoke on Digital Transformation for Industry 4.0
- Dr. Lorenz Granrath, Advisor, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) spoke on Fraunhofer and Asian Productivity Organisation - Cooperation in Industry 4.0
Session 2: Digitalization in Energy, Mobility, Space, Efficient Buildings
Speakers and Topics:
- Mr. Rainer Horn, Managing Partner, SpaceTec Partners – Munich spoke on Space Technologies: Enabler and Backbone of the Digital Age
- Dr. Thomas Schlegl, Head of Department Energy System Analysis, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy ISE, Freiburg spoke on Energy meets Digitalization – Chances and Challenges
- Dr. Thoralf Knote, Head of Department - Vehicle and Transport System Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, Dresden spoke on Automated and Universal Recharging System for Battery Vehicles
- Dr. Simon Schmidt, Scientific Head of Climate Culture Building, Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Valley spoke on Potentials of Digitalization in Constructions throughout the process chain
There was a special session which showcased Fraunhofer’s competencies in Protection and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, and Industrial Data Space for Data Sovereignty for businesses.
Valedictory Session
Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Magedanz, Director, Business Unit Software-based Networks, Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS, Berlin
- Mr. K S Viswanathan, Vice President - Industry Initiatives, National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)
- Mr. Franz-Josef Woestmann, Head of Department - Casting Technology and Lightweight Construction, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Dresden
- Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Director General, Automotive Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
Moderated by Ms. Anandi Iyer, Director, Fraunhofer Office India