Business

• Demographic Change (Prof. Dr. Thomas Baumgärtler)

• Employee Motivation (Prof. Dr. Matthias Graumann)

• Industry-Specific Design of Cost and Performance Accounting (Prof. Dr. Michael Otte)

• Implementation of Controlling Tools in Practice (Prof. Dr. Michael Otte) ⇒ Click here for more details. 

• Public Accounting, with a Focus on Higher Education Accounting and Double-Entry Bookkeeping (Prof. Dr. Najderek)

• International Financial Reporting under IFRS (Prof. Dr. Najderek)

Cost and performance accounting is one of the most important tools of the management information system and is therefore intended to support management in planning and controlling business operations.

However, cost and performance accounting can only fulfill this role if it is optimally tailored to the company’s specific operational processes. Therefore, when designing a practical and effective cost and performance accounting system, the specific conditions and characteristics of the company in question must be taken into account.

Brand Management in Retail

The retail sector faces intense competitive pressure and is therefore seeking ways to differentiate itself. Brand management offers a suitable approach to this challenge.

This research focus centers on optimizing brand strategy and brand management on an empirical basis in the following areas: store-type brands, retail and private labels, internal brand management, and employer branding.Areas of investigation in brand strategy include, in particular, positioning approaches for business-type brands in various sectors of the consumer goods retail industry as well as in B2B retail; success factors for brand architectures in retail; and growth strategies for retail companies (here, in particular, growth drivers and barriers for store-type brands).

In the context of brand management, the research examines the optimization of a positioning-aligned marketing mix for positioning strategies (e.g., the role of store design and visual merchandising in differentiation) as well as the implementation of positioning through multisensory marketing.

• Open Innovation (Prof. Dr. Bernhard Denne) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Customer Relationship Management and Service Management in B2B (Prof. Dr. Larissa Greschuchna) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Services and Capital Goods Marketing (Prof. Dr. Larissa Greschuchna) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Marketing Research (Prof. Dr. Larissa Greschuchna, Prof. Dr. Andrea Müller) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Technical Sales (Prof. Dr. Bernhard Denne) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Innovative Business Models (Prof. Dr. Andrea Müller, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Denne)

The basic principle of open innovation is that companies, organizations, and institutions draw on external knowledge and expertise to solve their own specific problems. They tap into the vast creative resources of the “crowd” to effectively shape their own internal innovation or problem-solving processes. In turn, the best idea contributors have the opportunity to benefit from the implementation of their ideas through rewards and recognition of their achievements by the community. What role does open innovation play in the innovation process? What’s new about it? Where does it make sense to integrate open innovation, and what can one expect?

In an era of globalization and increasing competition, building and maintaining profitable business relationships has become increasingly important. Effective customer relationship management is essential for such long-term business relationships.

Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, in particular, play a decisive role in this regard. Through carefully selected activities, these two factors can be optimized, thereby exerting a significant influence on the success of your company.

Service Marketing

Whereas in the past it was usually sufficient to offer a high-quality product at an acceptable price, these factors are generally no longer enough today to prevail against the competition. Companies are increasingly recognizing the opportunity to differentiate themselves through additional services and are evolving more and more into service providers. As a result, service marketing is becoming increasingly important not only for pure-play service providers but also for industrial goods and retail companies. These companies are increasingly faced with questions such as which product-related services are suitable for differentiating themselves from competitors, how these services should be implemented, and at what price they should be offered.

Capital Goods Marketing

Today, industrial goods companies face a wide range of developments (including globalization, technological leaps, and declining customer loyalty), to which answers must be found in practical marketing operations. Traditionally, however, marketing has focused on consumer goods. Simply applying these insights to industrial goods markets cannot lead to success, as these markets exhibit several general characteristics. In particular, the need for explanation and the complexity of the goods, as well as the organizational nature of derived demand—which is typically shaped by multiple individuals—pose challenges to the marketing process.

Meaningful information forms the basis for efficient and effective market development. Marketing research is essential for gathering this information, and various tools and methods are available for this purpose. With the support of specialized software, surveys, for example, can be conducted quickly and easily and evaluated using powerful analytical methods. In addition, all the capabilities of our faculty’s in-house labs are available.

When selling products that require technical explanation, engineers often aren’t skilled enough as salespeople, and salespeople rarely have enough engineering expertise to address all issues competently and comprehensively. The technical sales expert operates within this tension. But what sets the expert apart? The fundamental cornerstone is knowledge of the customer’s business model, upon which a solid, comprehensive customer relationship can be built. Modern methods, such as “user experience” and “empathy mapping,” help in gathering valid customer information. Building on these empirical insights, the technical sales specialist offers customers solutions to their challenges, highlights the added value of their offering, and can discuss how it compares to the competition! And they never forget: After the sale is before the sale!

• Mathematical Optimization for Specific Operational Planning Processes in the Automotive Industry: Strengthening Regional Connections to Rail Freight Transport (Prof. Dr. Joachim Reiter).

• Optimization of JIS Processes in the Automotive Industry (Prof. Dr. Joachim Reiter) 

• Process optimization for automotive terminals (Prof. Dr. Joachim Reiter)

• Transshipment Planning and Control in Intermodal Transport (Prof. Dr. Joachim Reiter) ⇒ Click here for more details

Container traffic has grown steadily over the past few decades. In order to increase the share of rail transport, containers must be able to be handled at appropriate terminals as quickly as possible and at low cost.

This field of research focuses on designing terminal processes that must facilitate intermodal transshipment between multiple modes of transport (rail, ship, truck) within a relatively small space. This means that only limited capacity is available for temporary storage. Accordingly, the processes must be coordinated among the modes of transport (handshake) or executed by a handling system. The goal in each case is to minimize redundant movements. This poses particular challenges for discrete, combinatorial scheduling and sequencing.

The corresponding planning algorithms must take into account the available resources, capacities, and delivery time windows for the respective modes of transport and make decisions online in light of the continuous—but generally non-deterministic due to rush orders or delays—inflow of orders.

Against the backdrop of integrated process flows, the issue of determining the processing sequence of truck shipments plays a particularly important role here. In addition to scheduling and sequencing planning focused purely on process optimization, this study also examines possibilities for integrating revenue management approaches. In addition to the targeted management of demand—and thus improved predictability of shipments—this is intended to contribute to improving the profitability of terminal operators.

• Strengthening Regional Connections to Rail Freight Transport (Prof. Dr. Dittrich)

• Transshipment Planning and Control in Combined Transport (Prof. Dr. Reiter) ⇒ Click here for more details.

Container traffic has grown steadily over the past few decades. In order to increase the share of rail transport, containers must be able to be handled at appropriate terminals as quickly as possible and at low cost.

This field of research focuses on designing terminal processes that must facilitate intermodal transshipment between multiple modes of transport (rail, ship, truck) within a relatively small space. This means that only limited capacity is available for temporary storage. Accordingly, the processes must be coordinated among the modes of transport (handshake) or executed by a handling system. The goal in each case is to minimize redundant movements. This poses particular challenges for discrete, combinatorial scheduling and sequencing.

The corresponding planning algorithms must take into account the available resources, capacities, and delivery time windows for the respective modes of transport and make decisions online in light of the continuous—but generally non-deterministic due to rush orders or delays—inflow of orders.

Against the backdrop of integrated process flows, the issue of determining the processing sequence of truck shipments plays a particularly important role here. In addition to scheduling and sequencing planning focused purely on process optimization, this study also explores possibilities for integrating revenue management approaches. In addition to the targeted management of demand—and thus improved predictability of shipments—this is intended to contribute to improving the profitability of terminal operators.

• Manager Liability (Prof. Dr. Matthias Graumann) ⇒ Click here for more details.

• Labor Law (Prof. Dr. Jörg-Andreas Weber)

• International Tax Law (Prof. Dr. Jörg-Andreas Weber)

• Tax Law (Prof. Dr. Jörg-Andreas Weber)

• Credit Security Law (Prof. Dr. Jörg-Andreas Weber)

The research project aims to assist executives in determining when “adequate information” exists within the meaning of the duty of care under stock corporation law as set forth in Section 93(1) and (2) of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG) in conjunction with Section 116 AktG. The starting point for these considerations is the “German Business Judgment Rule,” which was made binding by the law on Corporate Integrity and Modernization of the Right of Action (UMAG). This legal concept, modeled on U.S. standards, concretizes the notion of due diligence on the part of a prudent and conscientious manager through various elements, of which “adequate information” marks the truly new focus of the regulation. While there is consensus that this does not entail perfect information, but rather that any increase in information must be weighed against the associated costs and the time required to obtain it, how this formal requirement should be operationalized remains a largely unresolved problem at present. To offer an initial proposal for solving this problem, a rule-based concept for decision-making is being developed that draws on recent considerations in the theory of argumentation and builds upon established procedural rules in decision theory.

• Process Engineering (Prof. Dr. Schlager)

• Big Data (Prof. Dr. Hagen)

• ETL, Data Modeling (Prof. Dr. Hagen)

• Open Data (Prof. Dr. Hagen)

• Open Source Business Intelligence (Prof. Dr. Hagen)

• Self-Service Business Intelligence (Prof. Dr. Hagen)

• Process Engineering (Prof. Dr. Schlager)

Direct Marketing

As customer relationship management has taken on greater importance, direct marketing has become significantly more relevant. The goal of direct marketing is to establish and maintain a dialogue tailored to the customer with individual target audiences known to the company on a personal level. Our research activities address the following key questions: What factors influence the success of a direct marketing campaign? How can these variables be managed? What framework conditions must direct marketing increasingly take into account in the future? As part of our knowledge transfer efforts, we offer support in developing an innovative cross-media direct marketing strategy and integrating it into your company’s overall business strategy.

E-Commerce

 In recent years, traditional sales channels have been supplemented by new digital networks. This has not only expanded the range of options but has also led to a redefinition of the entire sales process in many industries. Multi-channel commerce has already become a reality for many companies. However, numerous research questions remain unanswered and practical problems unresolved in this context. This new, dynamic market offers companies enormous opportunities, but it is also fraught with risks. Through quantitative and qualitative studies, current market developments are tracked and examined from the perspective of applied science. As part of collaborative projects, applications are analyzed, results are interpreted, and recommendations for action are developed to optimize the product or service offering.

The “Direct Marketing and E-Commerce” specialization has been funded by Printus GmbH since the summer semester of 2012 as part of an endowed professorship.

Self-Powered Embedded Systems

The research focus "Energy-Self-Sufficient Embedded Systems" deals with the design and implementation of embedded systems for controlling, regulating, and monitoring technical equipment that is intended to operate independently of a mains power supply. Examples of such systems include, in particular, mobile and wireless embedded systems. These systems must either be battery-powered or utilize energy harvesting to avoid the need for frequent battery replacement. Research and development at Hochschule Offenburg focuses on the design and simulation of possible system architectures for energy-autonomous embedded systems, as well as the development and evaluation of various power management strategies for such systems.

Wireless technologies and protocols, particularly short-range wireless networks for wireless sensor communication

Wireless communication has revolutionized our world. The range of applications studied at Hochschule Offenburg extends from traditional mobile communications (e.g., GSM/GPRS, UMTS, or LTE) to industrial applications of wireless technologies for local and real-time use—so-called short-range wireless networks—which are now commonly used for wireless sensor communication.

The demand for ever-faster, secure, cost-effective, energy-efficient, and real-time-capable wireless technologies in the applications described above poses an ever-greater challenge to research and development. Research and development at Hochschule Offenburg focuses on the evaluation, analysis, development, and optimization of wireless technologies and protocols. Activities at the university range from simulation, emulation, and development to the testing of wireless technologies and protocols.

Without the miniaturization of electronics and mechanics, life as we know it today would be unthinkable. Whether in consumer electronics, Medizintechnik, automation technology, or automotive applications, microelectronics and microsystems technology are the quintessential “enabling technologies” of our age. More and more system functionality can be implemented in the smallest of spaces.

The Microelectronics/Microsystems Technology Research Cluster focuses on the implementation of innovative, miniaturized circuit and system concepts, particularly the development of self-sufficient and energy-efficient, highly miniaturized components and assemblies. New approaches in microelectronics and microsystems technology are continuously researched and evaluated by the research cluster at Hochschule Offenburg.

Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW)

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagate along the surface of elastic solids with a penetration depth on the order of their wavelength. Originally discovered in the context of geophysics (earthquakes, seismology), they have since found applications in a wide variety of technical fields. Since the invention of the interdigital transducer based on the piezoelectric effect, the most economically significant applications have been in signal-processing components such as frequency filters, which are used in large quantities in mobile communications. The optimization of such components using numerical simulations—including new methods for structuring substrate surfaces—is the focus of our research.

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagate on the surface of an elastic solid with a penetration depth on the order of their wavelength. Originally discovered in a geophysical context, they have since found applications in various fields of technology. Since the invention of the interdigital transducer, based on the piezoelectric effect, the most economically significant applications have been signal processing devices—such as frequency filters—which are used in large quantities in mobile communication systems. A main goal of our research in this field is the optimization of such devices using numerical simulations, taking into account new possibilities for structuring the surfaces of piezoelectric substrates.  

Wireless Sensing

The availability of wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WirelessHART is increasingly enabling the development of wireless sensors for industrial applications, such as in Medizintechnik, automation, and the automotive industry. The research focus “Wireless Sensor Systems” addresses the challenges involved in developing wireless sensor systems. Specifically, these include the selection and evaluation of suitable wireless technologies for wireless sensors or entire sensor networks; the conception, development, and simulation of hardware and software for wireless sensors that are as energy-efficient as possible; and the design of intelligent sensor interfaces.

Profile and Objectives

1. 3D-Printed Electronics

3D printing is becoming increasingly widespread, mostly in the form of low-cost printers for plastic filaments. The use of functional materials—such as those with electrical conductivity—represents one of the next stages in 3D printing. This makes it possible to directly integrate electronic functionality into 3D-printed parts. By printing conductive materials, it is also possible to rapidly produce multilayer circuit boards and implement printed sensor technology. Various printers and printing processes are available in the lab for research purposes.

2. Energy Harvesting

The increasing connectivity and monitoring of machines and processes driven by Industry 4.0 goes hand in hand with a growing number of sensors. By 2020, there are expected to be approximately 26 billion wireless microdevices worldwide. Depending on the location of the sensor nodes, a wired power supply may not be feasible. Batteries pose challenges both in terms of labor (replacement) and environmental impact (disposal). Energy harvesting offers the possibility of ensuring a self-sufficient power supply (using ambient energy) for wireless sensor nodes. This can be achieved, for example, by utilizing process waste heat, machine vibrations, mechanical switching operations, or indoor solar cells—areas on which the lab focuses in one of its two main research areas.

Areas of Research

• Additive manufacturing processes for producing sensors in gripping systems

• Additive manufacturing processes for the production of energy harvesters

• Predictive Maintenance

• Additively manufactured electronics

• Additively Manufactured Plastic Components

Laboratory Equipment

DFG Large-Scale Equipment: 5-Axis Machine for Additive Manufacturing of Electronic Components

• Neotech AMT 15XSA
  With its extensive range of printing and post-processing tools, the 15X SA supports a wide variety of functional materials. Conductive nanoparticle inks and micron-scale pastes can be accurately deposited onto complex, non-planar substrates and combined with SMD pick-and-place technology for the manufacture of mechatronic systems. Structural bodies can also be generated using FFF, a pellet extruder, and dispensing modules, enabling “fully additive” 3D-printed electronics.

• Printer

  • Prusa i3 MK3 - 3D Plastic Printing

  • Prusa i3 MK3S - 3D Plastic Printing

  • Prusa i3 MK3S MMU - 3D Plastic Printing

  • Voltera V-One - PCB printing

  • Botfactory SV2 - Multilayer (4-layer) PCB printing

• Measuring Instruments

  • Keithley 2450 SourceMeter - Power Supply and Multimeter

  • PeakTech 2005 - Multimeter and inductance measurement

  • Sourcetronic Precision LCR Meter ST2829C - Measurement Bridge

  • Teledyne Lecroy waveStation 2012 - Waveform Generator

  • Teledyne Lecroy waveAce 1001 - Oscilloscope

• Additional Equipment

  • Emag EMMI 20 HC - Ultrasonic Cleaner 150W 2L

  • Ersa i-Con Vario 4 - Soldering Station

  • Ersa EASY ARM 1 - Suction Arm

  • Liebherr LKUexv 1610 MediLine - Laboratory Refrigerator

  • Memmert UF55plus - Heating and drying unit

  • RIGOL DP832 - Programmable DC Power Supply

  • Toolcraft DigiMicro Lab5.0 - Microscope

Use of the lab in research projects

• DFG Major Equipment: Five-axis machine for 3D printing of electrically functional components, including printing of circuit traces and pick-and-place

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (March 2021 – September 2023): Development of an easy-to-program, low-cost deburring robot with automatic error compensation for large structural components

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (December 2020 – May 2023): Development of a sensitive gripper jaw system for robotic gripping systems using additive manufacturing

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (October 2020 – March 2023): Development of an autonomous, driverless, low-cost transport system – development of the complete sensor system and sensor module technology

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (January 2020 – April 2022): Development of a 3D printing system for the automated production of an active front-panel system; Development of the printing technology, the print heads, the automated tool-changing system, and the printable sensor components

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (November 2019 – June 2022): Sensor-based condition monitoring, surveillance, and control of technically demanding injection molding processes and multi-cavity molds at the cavity level; Research into digital, energy-autonomous sensor technology and an interface to the system for a distributed, energy-autonomous active cavity system in multi-cavity injection molding tools

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (May 2018 – November 2020): Development of a collaborative robotics system for speed and distance monitoring on industrial robots; Development of the overall collaborative system, including camera and sensor technology and the classification system

• BMWI-ZIM Cooperation Project (December 2017 – December 2020): Development of a wireless technology for safety-critical applications — flexible optimization of performance profile and energy efficiency through variable star topology and echo nodes; Research into an adaptive communication protocol and algorithms for scheduling and data exchange

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (December 2017 – November 2020): Development of a multifunctional, intelligent, and custom-designed human-robot collaboration 3-finger gripping system using additive manufacturing; Development of the mechanical robotic gripping concept as well as the finger gripping system, finger joints, surfaces, and docking technology, including end-of-arm tooling using 3D multimaterial printing technology

• BMWI-ZIM Collaboration Project (September 2016 – July 2020): Intelligent Injection Molding – Development of a miniaturized system for identification, process data storage, and monitoring of injection molding tools

• BMBF (April 2018 – May 2020): Intelligent electronic system for process control in peripheral machine components; subproject: Self-sufficient power supply / energy harvesting

Profile and Objectives

To shorten development cycles and minimize testing costs, the behavior of components is now simulated in advance on a computer.

The accuracy of finite element calculations depends on the selected material model and, in particular, on the quality of the material properties. Using the LFM-BIAX biaxial testing machine, material parameters can be determined even for highly nonlinear materials.

Technical Specifications

• Electromechanical spindle drive

• Forces: 4 × 25 kN

• Stroke per cylinder: 400 mm

• Maximum stroke speed: 5000 mm/s = 18 km/h

• Control cycle: 8,000 Hz or 0.125 ms

Applied Research

• Parameter identification for FEM material models

• Standardization of cross-section specimens

• Crack modeling with XFEM

• Optimization of rapid prototyping and tooling

Profile and Objectives

The lab focuses on the methods and techniques of customer experience tracking in both teaching and applied research. Within the framework of CXT, state-of-the-art technologies and new research approaches are combined with the goal of identifying and evaluating consumer requirements for products and services and developing solutions to optimize performance. At the heart of this innovative research approach is the combination of proven individual user experience measurement methods, enriched with a valid measurement of customers’ emotions during the shopping process. Combined with established user experience measurement technologies and methodologies—such as expert evaluation, questionnaires, eye tracking, skin conductance, and think-aloud protocols, facial expression measurement provides the opportunity to gather information about the emotions experienced by customers that are triggered by specific stimuli (e.g., images, text, prices).

Room Setup

• Test Room

  • Surveillance cameras, microphones, speakers, monitor, PC, tablet, smartphone

  • The atmosphere of a home setting—such as a living room, office, or dining room—serves to simulate a test environment that is as realistic and familiar as possible: sofa, armchair, coffee table, bookshelf, sideboard, floor lamp, pictures, plants, home decor, dining table, dining chairs

• Observation Room

  • Analysis desk (eye tracking, video and audio recording, facial expression analysis)

  • 3D scanner desk

  • Conference table with chairs, analysis desk (eye tracking, video and audio recording, facial expression analysis)

Equipment for analysis

• Hardware

  • Tobii Pro X3-120 monitor-based eye-tracking system

  • Tobii Pro Glasses 2 eye-tracking glasses

  • 2 Axis P5534 HD-Ready IP cameras

  • BioScreen Portal Skin Conductance Meter

  • Leica 3D Scanner ScanStation P20

  • HP Designjet Color 3D Printer (Location: Rapid Prototyping Lab)

  • 2 Nexus 10 tablets

  • 1 iPhone 5s

  • 1 Samsung Galaxy 5S mini

  • Grundig Sidney 55” CLE 9476 BL LED Flat-Screen TV 

• Software

  • Tobii Pro Lab

  • Tobii Pro Glasses Controller

  • FaceReader 5.0 (FA Noldus)

  • The Observer XT (FA Noldus)

  • Media Recorder (FA Noldus)

  • D-Lab (FA Ergoneers)

  • BioScreen SPSS Analysis Software Portal

Use of the lab in research projects

• ZIM Project: EmotionSensor3D

• ZIM Project: ProfessionalUX

• Collaborative research with industry (References: Burda Direct Services GmbH, EDEKA Südwest, Avenit, Zentrag, Kiebel, FGS Baden e. G.)

Profile and Objectives

The goal is to develop and evaluate innovative business models and technologies for the multichannel marketing of services and products. The Digital Business Models Lab’s service portfolio is aimed at companies, students, and the academic community in the fields of Dialogmarketing und E-Commerce and digital transformation. New technologies and concepts are evaluated for practical application, and recommendations for concrete implementation in a corporate setting are developed. As part of our research and development activities, a working group will be established in 2026, composed of representatives from academia and industry, to facilitate constructive knowledge transfer and the exchange of experiences through events and training sessions.

Room Equipment

• Grundig Sidney 55” CLE 9476 BL LED flat-screen TV

• Conference table with chairs

Functions

• Project meetings

• Technical Discussions

• Working group meetings

• Business development

• Product and Service Evaluations

Profile and Objectives

Now an indispensable computational method, the finite element method (FEM) not only enables the optimization of individual components such as turbine blades or couplings, but also allows, for example, the simulation of collisions involving detailed vehicle models. Calculations of complex crash scenarios help identify weak points without having to build a separate prototype for each variant.

Software Tools

• Abaqus Expanded Teaching Edition

  • Abaqus/CAE

  • Abaqus/Standard

  • Abaqus/Explicit

• Limitations Compared to the Research Edition

  • Maximum model size: 250,000 nodes

  • No user subroutines

• Number of workstations: 20

Profile and Objectives

Laser ultrasonics is a modern, non-destructive method for materials testing, particularly for examining surfaces. In our lab, we use this method to determine the elastic properties of coatings and to conduct research on new physical effects associated with the propagation of guided acoustic waves.

Equipment

• Nd:YAG pulsed laser (2.5 mJ pulse energy at a wavelength of 1064 nm)

• CW laser and probe-beam deflection setup*

• Optical bench, optical components, and metrological instruments*

• Hardware and software for automated SAW dispersion measurements*

*Provided by the Institute of Physical Chemistry at Heidelberg University

Participating Scientists

• Dr. Alexey M. Lomonosov, General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

• Dr. Pavel D. Pupyrev, General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

• Dr. (VAK Moscow) Elena A. Mayer, Department of B+W, Hochschule Offenburg

• Prof. Dr. Peter Hess, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Heidelberg University

• Prof. Dr. Andreas P. Mayer, Department of B+W, Hochschule Offenburg

Profile and Objectives

The Lean Manufacturing Lab complements instruction in both bachelor's and master's degree programs. Using simulation games developed in-house, the lab aims to teach students what lean manufacturing methods are, what successes can be achieved with them, and how they can be integrated into a company’s production organization.

Key Focus Areas

• Practical implementation of the lean manufacturing concept

• Principles of pull-based production

• Optimization of material supply

• Training in the continuous improvement (CIP) process

• Goal-Oriented Method Training

Facilities

• Product

  • Mini Micro Scooter

  • 23 individual parts

  • four variants

• Equipment

  • Flexibly configurable assembly tables

  • Ergonomic workstations

  • Supermarket shelves

  • Logistics and staging carts

  • Miniature train set

  • Cardboard workstations

Practicums and Exercises

• Production Management (bachelor's degree)

• Manufacturing Organization (bachelor's degree)

• Case Study: Learning Factory (bachelor's degree)

• Value Stream Design (with a master's degree)

• Lean Manufacturing (master's degree)

Profile and Objectives

The lab focuses on both teaching and applied research into methods and techniques for idea generation and problem-solving, as well as the development of innovative business models and product solutions and their evaluation in collaboration with clients.

The Creative Space is located at the B+W Department in Gengenbach in the Vorbeck Building: a space for ideas and a space to come up with new ideas. The Creative Space is designed as a workshop and studio for innovative and creative projects across all disciplines. It is intended to complement the University’s offerings and provide space for extraordinary educational concepts in the appealing surroundings of the Gengenbach Monastery. Take advantage of this opportunity to leave your everyday office behind and view things from a different perspective. The colors, shapes, and materials used, as well as the olfactory impressions, help facilitate this. There are no limits to your imagination: be inspired by display objects and numerous examples of successful—or even failed—innovations that you can touch and explore.

Facilities

• Projector

• Seating and workspaces

Think Tank

• Creativity Wall

• Metaplan

• Flipchart

Lectures, Exercises, and Practicals

• Marketing Research

• Direct Marketing

• E-commerce

• Innovation, Creativity, and Problem Solving

• Final theses

• Projects

Profile and Objectives

The lab simulates a real retail store environment with 11 running meters of shelving and focuses on three main areas in both teaching and applied research:

1. Optimization of product presentations in retail (e.g., combined placements, variations in facings, presentation variations in different shelf zones)

2. Investigation of the effect of multisensory stimuli on consumer behavior (e.g., scents and music)

3. Design and implementation of multi-channel sales activities (online and offline applications)

Research Methods Used

• Analysis of eye movements, facial expressions, and gestures

• Interpretation of emotions, arousal, and attitudes

• Principles of dialogue design (DIN EN ISO 9241-110)

• Evaluation of product range expertise

• Consumer purchasing behavior (e.g., time spent in-store, receipt total, impulse purchases)

Profile and Objectives

Additive manufacturing technology has advanced rapidly in recent years. A wide variety of materials can now be used to produce components. The materials are fabricated tool-free from a CAD data set using various material-specific processes.  Additive manufacturing is used to create prototypes (rapid prototyping), manufacture tools (rapid tooling), or directly produce components (rapid manufacturing).

The Rapid Prototyping Lab at Hochschule Offenburg is equipped with various state-of-the-art 3D printers and 3D scanners. In addition to their use in teaching and research, these devices are employed to produce custom parts for university-led or student projects, such as the robot “Sweaty.” In addition, upon request and following a consultation with lab staff, print jobs are also accepted from external parties.

If you’re interested in 3D printing—whether you’re affiliated with the university or an external party—please feel free to contact us!

We’d be happy to discuss your needs and the next steps during a consultation.

You can find the contact information for our lab staff in the right-hand column.

We look forward to working with you!

Equipment

• Hardware

  • MarkTwo 3D printer with continuous fiber reinforcement from Markforged

  • J750 multimaterial printer from Stratasys

  • ProJet 660 Pro from 3D Systems

  • MINI+ from Prusa Research

  • i3 MK3S from Prusa Research + multimaterial unit + pellet/granule extruder from Direct3D

  • Pam o2 MC from Pollen

  • SL1 from Prusa Research + curing station

  • Phrozen Sonic Mini 8k

  • X1E from Bambu Lab + Automatic Material System (AMS)

  • Artec Eva and Artec Spider 3D scanners

  • Memmert heating cabinet/drying cabinet

• Software

  • CATIA V5 from Dassault Systèmes

  • Netfabb Professional

  • Artec Studio 18

  • Grab CAD Print

  • Various slicing software programs

Practical exercises and hands-on activities

• bachelor's degree

  • Computer-Aided Engineering 1 - Design and Additive Manufacturing of a Simple Application Example (JetMobil)

  • Innovative Product Development - Supervision During Project Work

  • Supervision and implementation of seminar papers and final theses

• master's degree

  • Computer-Aided Engineering 2 – Design of a Transmission and Additive Manufacturing of Individual Components in the Lab

  • Rapid Prototyping Workshop—Additive Manufacturing and Methodological Development of RC Cars in Selected Areas and Disciplines (Required elective for students pursuing a master's degree in all departments)

  • Additive Manufacturing Workshop – Development, Design, and Fabrication of a Soft Robot in the Form of a Bionic Muscle Using 4D Printing of Magnet-Responsive Elastomers (Required elective for students with a master's degree from all departments)

  • Supervision and implementation of seminar papers and final theses

Profile and Objectives

The lab focuses on teaching and providing hands-on training to students in the fields of renewable energy and energy management. The goal is to enable future engineers to test, reinforce, and expand the foundational knowledge they have acquired in various lectures on these topics through practical applications. From experiments in fuel cell technology and photovoltaics to wind energy, the lab offers a wide range of practical applications for energy generation and conversion in a variety of systems.

Research Topics

Energy generation, conversion, and evaluation through experiments on the following topics:

• Wind energy

• Fuel cell technology

• Photovoltaics

• Heat Pumps

• Geothermal energy and heat transfer

• Greenhouse effect

• Thermography

Equipment

• Stirling engine (from 3B-Scientific) including educational software

• Fuel Cell Kit (from Maphy) 

• Fuel Cell Trainer and Professional Demo (from Heliocentris), including educational software

• Heat pump (from 3B-Scientific) including educational software

• Wind Energy Experiment System (by IKS Photovoltaik)

• Off-Grid and Grid-Tied Photovoltaic Systems (by Hera), including Wind Power Panel

• Greenhouse Effect (by 3B-Scientific)

• Heat Exchanger with Power Supply Unit (by Gunt), including double-pipe, plate, shell-and-tube, and double-jacket heat exchangers, as well as educational software

• Thermal imaging camera (from Flir)

• Various measurement instruments (multimeters, energy and power meters, etc.) and electrical engineering laboratory accessories

Integration of the lab into lectures and lab sessions

• Renewable Energy Lab (master's degree)

• Energy Economics (master's degree)

• Final theses

Profile and Objectives

The automated capture of information is an essential prerequisite for digitization in the production environment. While transaction data is currently read using optical codes, RFID technology, on the other hand, allows for the simultaneous capture of multiple pieces of information over longer distances in the single-digit meter range. A wide range of information—such as part numbers or item data—can be exchanged wirelessly between production control systems, workpieces, and production and transport equipment. The RFID lab is used to demonstrate data capture processes between ERP/MES systems and production and transport equipment using RFID technology. This enables the development and teaching of application scenarios in manufacturing organization and production logistics. Students learn about RFID technology integrated with ERP systems and practice its practical application using detailed use cases.

Key Topics

• Introduction to RFID technology

• Integration of ERP/MES systems with middleware

• Developing application scenarios in manufacturing operations and production logistics

• Developing, demonstrating, and practicing the use of RFID technology using detailed use cases

Equipment

• RFID equipment from Siemens: Simatic Reader RF680R with four Simatic 680A antennas

• Three-point crossbeam gate for mounting the RFID hardware

• RFID middleware and ERP/MES software

• RFID tags

Practical Courses and Exercises

• Laboratory exercise on production organization

• Completion of Final Theses

Profile and Objectives

The Virtual Engineering Lab focuses on digital factory and process planning, its simulation, and virtual 3D visualization in both teaching and applied research. Additionally, ergonomic studies can be conducted for the 3D planning and simulation of workflows.

Software Equipment

• IC.ICO from ESI Group

• Vistabletouch factory planning software from Plavis

• Plant Simulation production simulation program from Siemens

• EMA ergonomics software from IMK

• Virtual machine tool from Index

• SimVSM value stream analysis and simulation program by SimPlan

• SIVAS ERP system from Schrempp EDV

• PLM system “keytech” from keytech Software

• MES software “cronetwork” from Industrie Informatik

Hardware Equipment

• VR Powerwall (3.6 m x 2.3 m) including tracking system from Borgware/Imsys

• 2 desktop PCs with 27" 3D monitors

• Factory planning table (55" touchscreen monitor) from Plavis

Practicums and Exercises

• Digital Factory (M.Eng.)

• Case Study: Learning Factory (B.Eng.)

• Virtual Machine Tool (B.Eng.)

• Virtual Engineering (M.Eng.)

• Value Stream Management (M.Eng.)

Research Project

VIRTFac – Virtual Innovative Real-Time Factory

Profile and Objectives

The Wirtschaftsinformatik lab focuses on information systems. The lab is primarily used for courses and student projects in the field of Wirtschaftsinformatik (bachelor's and master's degrees). Key areas of focus include ERP systems (SAP), business intelligence/analytics, and applications for the Internet of Things.

Equipment

• Hardware

  • 20 PCs

  • 10 laptops for student projects

  • Various single-board computers (Raspberry Pi, Tinkerforge, and others) for IoT scenarios

  • Big Data and Machine Learning Infrastructure

• Software

  • SAP clients provide access to various SAP systems at the SAP University Competence Center (University of Magdeburg)

  • Analytics tools: SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence tools, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau Desktop, KNIME (with KNIME Server)

  • Enterprise Architect (UML, Business Process Modeling with BPMN)

  • IDEs: Eclipse Platform & Visual Studio

  • The bwLehrpool virtualization platform enables all lecturers to quickly and easily provision virtual machines for courses

  • bwCloud resources can be used for research and teaching

Lab Sessions and Exercises

The following lectures and lab sessions take place in the lab:

• Software Implementation Project

• Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence

• Business Applications of IT

• VBA Programming

• The lab is available to students for independent study outside of class hours.