Schaeffler and Fraunhofer enter strategic partnership to further enhance collaboration

For Schaeffler and Fraunhofer, the aim of this partnership is to bring technologies into practical applications in a faster and targeted manner.

By Nilesh Wadhwa

10 Aug 2017

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Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Georg Rosenfeld (left), executive vice president technology marketing and business models at Fraunhofer, introduces Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer, CTO at Schaeffler AG, to new techn

German component maker Schaeffler which already has successful collaboration with various Fraunhofer institutes has further strengthened its collaboration by entering into a strategic partnership with the aim of further enhancing this collaboration.

What do the factories and workplaces of the future look like? How can emission-free, intelligent mobility fortomorrow be created in increasingly digitalized urban environments? These will be the topics that Schaeffler and Fraunhofer will strategically work on for the future. The partners will regularly exchange information about the changes going on globally and the resulting challenges and opportunities that will play an important element for the partners.

Dr Ing Peter Gutzmer, CTO, Schaeffler AG, at the signing ceremony for the strategic partnership, said “Future mobility will be characterised by new forms of transportation in urban areas. Schaeffler made an early start here by developing the Schaeffler Bio Hybrid – a vehicle that represents emission-free, requirement-based mobility. Digitalisation is set to bring about further changes to today’s world and make service-oriented business models possible in all sectors of industry. We are delighted to have Fraunhofer – Europe’s largest research organisation for application-oriented research – on our side here.”

Technologies for practical applications

For Schaeffler and Fraunhofer, the aim of this partnership is to bring technologies into practical applications in a faster and targeted manner. During the last few years, the collaboration has continuously been expanded and enhanced, the focus being on the topics of manufacturing technology, materials and coating technology, tribology, eco-friendly drives, and energy storage.

Research and development to ensure the company’s long-term success

Schaeffler made major investments in research and development, with last year’s investments totalling € 751 million (Rs 5,740 crore). The component maker has over 7,100 employees working at 17 research and development centers and at other locations in a total of 24 countries. In 2016 alone, the company filed for over 2,300 new patent applications to the German Patent and Trademark Office, placing Schaeffler second in the list of Germany’s most innovative companies.