High-tech from Dresden to the global market: TU Dresden celebrates the collaborative innovation cluster with Fraunhofer IVV

By cooperating closely, the Chair of Processing Machines/Processing Technology at TUD Dresden University of Technology and the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) have formed a center for food processing and packaging. The "100 Years of Innovations in Processing Technology and Packaging” event is the perfect opportunity for both partners to celebrate this special double anniversary: 70 years of teaching at TUD coupled with 30 years of Fraunhofer IVV in Dresden. At the same time, the latest development at this exceptional packaging hub provides new impetus for the digital future of the whole industry: At the Dresden-based company Theegarten-Pactec - the global market leader in the field of confectionery packaging - the researchers developed an AI agent that digitally rethinks the development and commissioning of packaging machines.

TUD Rector Prof. Staudinger emphasized: “In Dresden we benefit from the unique research ecosystem of the DRESDEN-concept Science and Innovation Campus, of which Fraunhofer IVV is also an integral part. One of our shared research priorities is the development of sustainable production processes—which includes transferring the resulting innovations into industry and society. Sustainable packaging solutions resulting from this cooperation are already being used by international market leaders. This reflects our identity as a University of Excellence: not only to advance cutting-edge research, but also to translate it into tangible solutions for the key challenges of our time, such as resource scarcity and climate change.”

Prof. Müller-Groeling adds: “Thirty years of Fraunhofer IVV in Dresden stand for outstanding research, innovative solutions, and tireless commitment to industry and society. It is a special moment to celebrate this success story together with TU Dresden and our partners.”

Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer also emphasized: “Fraunhofer IVV and TU Dresden impressively demonstrate how targeted collaboration between cutting-edge research and industry works in the Free State of Saxony. “Close cooperation with companies creates exactly the kind of fertile ground that a modern business location needs. Innovation clusters such as Dresden’s packaging hub strengthen Saxony’s competitiveness in future-oriented fields such as sustainable production, new materials, and artificial intelligence.”

“Today, the institute is a shining example of how research and development can be translated into real-life applications,” says Saxony’s Minister of Science, Sebastian Gemkow. “It represents the transfer of research into high-tech products that can successfully establish themselves on the market. At the same time, the insights gained in research, pass seamlessly into teaching at TU Dresden. I wish Fraunhofer IVV all the best for the future in carrying this success story forward.”

Center for the workers and start-ups of tomorrow

Ranging from AI-supported methods for preserving knowledge in industrial and craft businesses to smart packaging solutions and sustainable food processing: For decades, the Fraunhofer IVV and TUD have been working closely with partners from industry and business to discover resilient nutrition strategies and develop sustainable packaging concepts. "We train highly qualified specialists and at the same time create a direct bridge from academic research to commercial application,” explains Prof. Jens Majschak, who represents both institutes as the Chair of the institute at TU Dresden and the director of the Fraunhofer IVV. “In recent years, this collaboration has also led to successful spin-offs, such as watttron GmbH, which has blossomed from a Dresden start-up into an internationally successful company specializing in packaging technologies and digitalization.”

Strategically bridging the gap between business and politics

Voices from the business world will also feature prominently at the joint anniversary event on March 12. The symposium is attracting representatives from international corporations such as the consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, who will exchange ideas on application-oriented technologies along the entire value chain—from innovative food-processing methods and the digitalization, and automation of machinery and equipment to sustainable packaging concepts. During a tour of the Fraunhofer Institute’s technical facilities ahead of the ceremony, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer, TU Dresden’s Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger, and Fraunhofer Executive Board member Prof. Axel Müller-Groeling were also able to look behind the curtain at the latest developments emerging from the Packaging Hub, including AI-supported tools and services as well as a new high-speed sealing process for packaging to name a few.

About the “100 Years of Innovation in Processing Technology and Packaging” event

This event is organized by TU Dresden with the support of its cooperation partner Fraunhofer IVV.

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TUD Dresden University of Technology
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