Fraunhofer Institute and MTA SZTAKI Launch New Innovation Hub

The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, alongside the Hungarian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Computer Science and Control (MTA SZTAKI), has established a joint venture named EPIC InnoLabs Non-profit. The official opening of its offices took place in Budapest on May 25, 2018, during a German-Hungarian Innovation Day.

EPIC InnoLabs aims to transfer internationally recognized research and development findings to industry, with a focus on areas such as cyber-physical production and logistics. It also intends to serve as a regional hub for industrial digitalization and Industrie 4.0 applications. According to the founding partners, the combination of expertise from Fraunhofer and MTA SZTAKI, coupled with high-quality innovation and services, positions EPIC to significantly contribute to innovation and excellence in Europe.

The event highlighted the long-standing collaboration between the organizations, which began with the establishment of a Fraunhofer Project Center at SZTAKI in 2010. Last year, the partners secured seven years of EU funding to establish the European Center of Competence for Production IT and Control (EPIC). The consortium includes multiple Fraunhofer Institutes from Germany, Fraunhofer Austria, and several Hungarian technical and research organizations.

In conjunction with the innovation day, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft President Prof. Reimund Neugebauer was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics for his contributions to scientific research and the advancement of scientific cooperation between Germany and Hungary.