A new „innovative regional growth core“ in Thuringia is now being given a decisive boost: the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the VIPO – Virtual Product and Process Optimization – network with an amount of around 7 million euros. VIPO is an alliance of six Thuringian engineering service providers and IT companies as well as three research institutes. The network aims to optimize product and process development as well as predictive maintenance over the entire product life cycle in companies. One example of future VIPO solutions is the maintenance of stressed rotor blades in wind turbines: Sensors analyze the workpiece; a parallel comparison with a „digital twin“ provides information about the degree of wear, the load capacity and the possible service life. Other applications include the production of prostheses and orthoses precisely tailored to patient needs and the development and optimization of highly specialized laser processing systems. Future fields of application for these solutions include additive manufacturing (3D printing), optical systems and energy technology. LEG has supported the network through its “Thuringian ClusterManagement“ team right from the start. The project volume totals around 11 million euros; the project partners will contribute almost 4 million euros. By the year 2030, VIPO is expected to achieve cumulative revenues of around 90 million euros with a world market share of 4 percent. (hw)
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