Indo-German research collaboration in the field of surface engineering and thin films officially started

23-11-2012: The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST and the Indian Institute of Technology IIT in Indore, India intend to cooperate closely together in future in the field of surface engineering and thin films. On the occasion of the opening of the first Fraunhofer office in Bangalore, representatives of the two institutes signed a memorandum of understanding and thereby laid the foundations for joint research work. The automotive industry, and vehicle manufacturing in particular, is experiencing very rapid growth in India. German companies have already established themselves in this market. The aim of the collaboration between the Fraunhofer IST and the IIT Indore is to seek out joint solutions for future challenges in the field of mobility and thus to forge a bridge between Germany and India in this field of research as well. As part of these activities a new IIT Surface Engineering Institute is to be created at the IIT, an Indian university of excellence, with the Fraunhofer IST contributing its expertise to its conceptual basis, structure and start-up. In addition, joint research projects with industry, student exchanges and the implementation of master‘s degree programs in surface engineering are also planned for Indore. The IIT Indore is one of the universities of excellence which were founded in 2009 and is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The Fraunhofer IST is working closely with Indian partners in other fields as well. In one project IST researchers have supported the Asahi Glass India company in putting a new glass-coating installation into operation. They conducted in situ employee training, suggested coating systems, prepared prototypes, characterized the samples produced and provided assistance throughout.

The involvement of the Fraunhofer IST is backed up by the foreign strategy policy of the Fraunhofer Society. “In addition to collaboration with partners of scientific excellence our focus is on following our German and European customers to India. In this way we can continue to be available as competent partners for our industrial clients here, help their Indian suppliers reach the required level of quality and thus boost their competitiveness in the Indian market”, says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer Society.

As an industry-oriented R&D service center the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST bundles skills and expertise in the fields of coating production, coating application, coating characterization and surface analysis. The aim is to provide the surfaces of the most diverse substrate materials with new or improved functions so as to create innovative products in line with market requirements. The Fraunhofer IST is one of the sixty institutes of the Fraunhofer Society, Europe‘s leading research organization, and with its 112 employees has an operating budget of 12.3 million euros.