Bridging the Gap Between Computer Science and Production

A Cyber-Physical Systems professorship is being established at RWTH Aachen University. It will be funded by the Aachen-based company DSA Daten- und Systemtechnik GmbH.

The computer-controlled world and the physical world have long since become inseparable from one another. Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are systems that utilize this close connection between a digital, computer-controlled world and the physical world. Between software and machines, for example. Cyber-physical systems (CPS) integrate computer systems, networks, and physical processes to perform complex functions and exchange data between the digital and machine systems. With a professorship in Cyber-Physical Systems financed by the Aachen-based company DSA Daten- und Systemtechnik GmbH, research in this future field is now being accelerated. Two important disciplines at RWTH are being closely combined: Computer science and mechanical engineering – including the omnipresent artificial intelligence.

“The professorship will be dedicated to an important aspect of the field of artificial intelligence. We want to shape the transformation process driven by AI using knowledge and innovation. The central instrument for us is our AI Center. However, we also know that we need strong partners at our side in order to make an impact on society. This is being expressed by this professorship,” explains the Rector of RWTH Aachen University, Professor Ulrich Rüdiger. “With the professorship in Cyber-Physical Systems, we are delighted to be providing an important research impetus for bridging the gap between the fields of computer science and production technology. In times when AI and industry are growing closer together, it is important for us as a medium-sized company from Aachen that a professorship can be established at RWTH Aachen University,” explains Dr. Thomas Huth, Managing Director of DSA.

For example, a CPS can consist of sensors, actuators, control systems, and communication networks as well as machines, robots, and production systems to perform a specific optimized task. A typical example is the “Internet of Things”, where physical objects are equipped with sensors and actuators to collect data and they then carry out actions based on this data. CPS are used in various areas, including industrial automation, smart cities, autonomous driving, automotive production and more. They enable the automation of complex processes, improve efficiency, enable predictive maintenance, and create new opportunities for innovative products and services. “The professorship in the field of cyber-physical systems will not only serve to decisively strengthen the transformation process 'from coal to AI', but it will also strengthen RWTH as a driving force behind this process,” says Alexander von Humboldt Professor Holger Hoos, Head of the AI Center at RWTH.

By establishing this professorship, DSA would like to intensify its commitment to promoting research and young talent and at the same time strengthen the important interdisciplinary cooperation between the Department of Computer Science and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. “DSA has already had good relations with Aachen's Computer Science department for many years, and this professorship takes the collaboration to a new level,” explains Professor Gerhard Lakemeyer, spokesperson for the Computer Science department at RWTH Aachen University.

DSA has been involved in teaching in the Computer Science department for years with practical lectures and workshops on the topic of “The Digital Lifecycle of Vehicles as a part of the Internet of Things (IoT).” The measures supported by DSA also include scholarships for students of STEM subjects, the awarding of master's prizes in the field of computer science for outstanding scientific theses and the Manfred Nagl Prize. Since 2022, DSA has been awarding this prize for excellent doctorates to recognize young scientists in the field of computer science. The prize is named after Professor Manfred Nagl, who held the Chair of Computer Science 3 (Software Engineering) at RWTH Aachen University for many years.

Both the company founders and the members of the current management team completed their studies with a doctorate in computer science/mathematics or mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Since the company was founded, DSA has offered numerous computer science graduates a start to their career. With the help of these employees, DSA has developed into an international company and a market leader for customer-specific communication solutions for vehicle electronics within 44 years.

The professorship will be established on January 1, 2025 for an initial period of five years at the Department of Computer Science at RWTH Aachen University.

(Press Release published by RWTH Aachen University.)