Selection of Research Projects in Supply Chain Engineering

Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics is the biggest European research and development facility for logistics subjects. Since 1981, new methods and instruments to optimize supply chains have been constantly developed at Fraunhofer IML and put into operational use. The following overview outlines the current research projects and subjects of the Supply Chain Engineering department.

Selection of the latest research projects

Promising ideas often result from collaboration. In order to generate the necessary benefits, research content has therefore to be actively developed and elaborated in close cooperation with companies. According to the motto of Joseph von Fraunhofer, the research of the Supply Chain Engineering department is application-oriented. The company’s needs determine how new ideas and approaches for planning supply chains are shaped. The research projects thus lead to prototypes that can be adopted and further developed by the companies. The Supply Chain Engineering department is currently researching approaches and methods of artificial intelligence and their coupling with material flow simulations as well as on the topics of platform economy, risk management and sustainability in supply chains. Below you will find a list of current and completed research projects.

 

Catena-X

Since mid-2021 the Supply Chain Engineering department of Fraunhofer IML has been working with numerous partners from industry and research in the BMWI-funded joint project »Catena-X Automotive Network« and is supporting the development of a collaborative, open and GAIA-X-compliant data network for automotive supply chains. 

 

MOVE

Move prioritizes the potentials of machine learning in Supply Chain Management. In cooperation with partners from industry we develop methods and tools with the use of artificial intelligence for a sustainable optimization of supply chain configurations.

 

ResKriVer

The project ResKriVer aims to create a data platform for health and rescue services as well as for enterprises, to supply their risk management in crisis with important, near-real-time data and point out necessary alternative actions.

 

Transfer-X

Transfer-X as an enabler for the transfer of applications and knowledge to small and medium-sized enterprises

 

Datenfabrik.NRW

Research project focusing on the development of intelligent solutions taking into account the latest technologies for manufacturing companies

Selection of successfully completed research projects

 

AI CUBE

In this research project the involved partners focus on the integration and use of artificial intelligence within the process industry. Main target is the creation of a road map, which helps to develop an understanding for the previous application of digital technologies in the process industry and its transferability on other sectors.

 

CO VERSATILE

CO VERSATILE concentrates on optimizing the resilience of supply chains, that are important in medical issues. As a part of risk management, the project’s research examines use-case oriented methods that empower project partners to act fast and efficient in the case of deficiencies and demand changes in important medical supply chains.

 

E²-Design

The project E²-Design aims to integrate the energy efficiency as a planning target into the design of production and logistics networks. The goal is to enable for the first time a continuous consideration of energy efficiency in the supply chain design.

 

Fast Ramp-Up

The pandemic had a huge impact on the German export-oriented economy with its complex supply chains existing in the manufacturing industry such as the automotive industry. It is of great interest for the entire economy and for the survival of small and medium sized business, to perform the Ramp-Up, or in other words the economic recovery, with its complex supply chains in a fast way but also with forecast and foresight.

 

NEXT-NET

Next Generation Technologies for Networked Europe

Next-Net project creates a cross-sectoral and cross-technology initiative at European level. The aim is to coordinate future research in production and logistic to propose research and innovation priorities for the future of supply chains.

 

inMachine

Local intelligence and networked planning to increase the efficiency of technical production machines in collaborative production networks of SMEs. 

 

SOFiA

Smart Objects and Smart Finance Approaches

The goal of this project is the improvement of process handling in complex production and logsitics networks with the integration of Smart Objects and digital B2B Smart Finance Approaches.

 

INNOKEY 4.0

Collaboration as a key to the successful transfer of innovation using automotive logistics 4.0 as an example. 

 

SMART FACE

Smart Micro Factory for Electric Vehicles

The challenge of the Smart Face project is to link approaches of CPS with existing technologies and production structures in order to create new and innovative solutions for lean production in small batch productions.

 

VILOMA

Visual Logistics Management

The VILOMA project investigated target group-specific and intuitive visualizations for better control of logistics networks.

 

InKoRISK

Collaborative Risk Management in the Automotive Industry

This project pursues the approach to add an overlapping risk management to the order scheduling and transport planning in automotive logistics networks in order to enable a logistic-oriented risk assessment.

 

SCD

Supply Chain Design

Within the framework of the EffizienzCluster LogistikRuhr, in this project selected default elements for logistics assistance systems for design tasks in value adding networks are developed.

 

SCP

Supply Chain Planning

Within the framework of the EffizienzCluster LogistikRuhr, in this project new methods and tools in the form of solution modules (“Plug & Plan-Suite”) are developed, which can be customized to the logistical assistance systems for supply chain planning.

 

SCE

Supply Chain Execution

Within the framework of the EffizienzCluster LogistikRuhr, in this project an overlapping business logistic solution for the regulation of order processing and material flow with the support of mobile devices is developed.

 

E²-Log

Energy Efficiency in Production and Logistics

This project addresses how the logistic network and production environment can be synchronized in a better way to reach a holistic improvement of the energy efficiency.

 

RAN

RFID-Based Automotive Network

An efficient production and a low-cost and inventory-optimized logistics should be realized through an intelligent overlapping business material flow control. The goal of the project is to control processes of the automobile industry in a transparent and optimized way.