For two days (April 22 and 23 of this year), a Polish-German meeting of partners of the international SUPRA network was held at the University of Zielona Góra. Representatives of companies such as ARC Solutions GmbH, BMF GmbH, Dr. Binde Ingenieure, Design & Engineering GmbH, Flender Industriegetriebe GmbH, H+E Produktentwicklung GmbH, µ-Tec GmbH, and representatives of academia from Technische Universität in Chemnitz visited Zielona Góra. The Polish side was represented by representatives of companies such as Seco/Warwick, Lumel SA, Perceptus, Ekoenergetyka, Adient, Hermes, AK Anatol, and scientists from the University of Zielona Góra. The main point of the program were study visits to companies in Lubusz Voivodeship that are considered leaders in their industry. The first day was spent at Hermes Fulfilment in Iłowa Żagańska, and in the afternoon the guests met with the rector of the University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Wojciech Strzyżewski, and visited the Materials Research Engineering Laboratory at UZ. On the second day, German partners visited companies Adient Poland and SECO/WARWIC S.A. in Świebodzin.
SUPRA is an international innovation network created by a community of industrial and research partners in the field of production technology. The network's goal is to develop strategies to increase resilience and sustainable development of production processes through automation and further development of production systems and components. Current challenges such as climate change, the shortage of skilled workers, and growing pressure for innovation and competitiveness pose a particular challenge for many companies and institutions. Network members believe that through interdisciplinary and international collaboration, competences, ideas, and know-how can be identified, developed, and connected.
Cooperation between the University of Zielona Góra and Technische Universität in Chemnitz has been going on for many years, and we also cooperate with companies. Together with Polish and German entrepreneurs, we find common topics for cooperation, and together - entrepreneurs, scientists, and students - we look for good solutions," said Prof. Justyna Patalas-Maliszewska, Vice-Rector for Cooperation with the Economy at UZ. And Dr. Matthias Rehm, the German coordinator of the SUPRA network added: - We are pleased with this cooperation. We established it several years ago, and now we are intensifying it. We hope to combine research projects carried out in Poland and Germany to jointly solve the problems that arise from them.
The actions taken by the network participants are in line with the United Nations' "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." Embracing the idea of sustainable development, further developing it, and applying it especially in the area of small and medium-sized production enterprises (SMEs) is the vision of the SUPRA network.
Photographs: K. Adamczewski
