Hands-on innovative logistics solutions

junio 22, 2021

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) is one of the largest practice-oriented state universities in Hesse and among the ten largest universities of applied sciences in Germany. With more than 70 bachelor's and master's degree programs, as well as doctoral programs in applied computer science and sustainability science, it offers a wide range of studies and research opportunities.

More than 17,000 students and over 1,300 professors and academic staff learn, teach and conduct research in a wide range of engineering, natural sciences, information sciences, economics, architecture, and design. The university is part of the Rhine-Main-Neckar IT cluster.

A separate course of study and various majors are dedicated to the future topic of logistics management. The logistics industry is booming and this requires well-qualified logistics experts who are able to cope with the ever-increasing complexity and rising customer demands. The close integration of practice-oriented teaching, application-oriented research and project work, and close cooperation with companies makes it possible to train logistics experts with a broad range of skills for the future job market. "Our concept has proven itself. We are proud that for years we have been receiving prizes and awards, most recently in December 2020 as the best university of applied sciences in the logistics master ranking of the Verkehrsrundschau, as well as bringing forward two winners of the BVL Thesis Award" says Prof. Dr. Armin Bohnhoff.

The university's own logistics laboratory offers students and other interested parties logistics opportunities "to touch". Every year, more than 130 students from bachelor's degree programs and other majors work and learn in this lab how supply and production chains are structured and which technical innovations support their organization and optimization. Another 70 or so international exchange students, as well as practitioners in MBA programs and companies, visit the lab each year.

The lab also serves as an experimental platform for research projects with companies that put their solutions into practice and test them here. One of these companies is Geutebrück GmbH, which uses video-based solutions to optimize the security, safety and efficiency of logistics processes. As part of a comprehensive selection process, the university’s logistics faculty spent two years looking for a solution that would add tracking and tracing as well as documentation of process flow and interfaces to the "picking" learning island. The choice fell on the system from Geutebrück because of the good integration of scanner systems and because the cooperation is so straightforward.

"You can feel the enthusiasm of the students when they see and experience what is possible," says Prof. Dr. Monika Futschik. Many students would later be confronted with more classically organized processes in the companies. They should know what is available, how things can be done more efficiently, and that huge investments are not necessarily required for this, but that a lot can already be achieved with small resources. In this way, they can then use the knowledge they have gathered in the lab to help companies modernize processes step by step and make them more efficient.

The possibilities are far from exhausted because new potential is constantly becoming apparent in practical applications. "Currently, we are in a brainstorming phase with Geutebrück, in which we generate ideas for further application scenarios every time we speak," enthuses Prof. Dr. Monika Futschik.

 

About Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) is one of the largest universities of applied sciences (HAW) in Germany. More than 17,000 students and over 1,300 professors and scientific employees learn, teach and research in a wide range of engineering, natural, economic and social sciences.
 

About Geutebrück

Geutebrück is one of the world market leaders for video systems "Made in Germany". The medium-sized, internationally active, family-owned company enables customer-specific solutions with Value Imaging and Video Security that minimize losses and maximize profits. In this way, Geutebrück helps to protect values: People, property, relationships, or processes.

 


Back