Altensteig. What do the energy concepts of the future look like? And how can you achieve strong acceptance of the new technologies in society? A high-calibre panel of young academics, whose research work is supported by the charitable Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation, are looking at possible answers to these questions.
At the invitation of the Foundation, 17 doctoral candidates from Dresden Technical University (TU), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart and their supervisors were guests of the exhaust technology specialist Boysen in Altensteig.
"On the one hand, we wanted to catch up with the current status of the projects we're supporting. On the other hand, we want to promote networking between the doctoral candidates themselves. The excellent discussions show that we more than met these objectives", says Stefanos Fasoulas, Professor from the Institute for Space Flight Systems at the University of Stuttgart, and Chairman of the Foundation board. "And if we have also managed to motivate one or other of our doctoral candidates to pursue an engineering career at Boysen then so much the better", adds Dr. Jürgen Schmidt, Head of Development at Boysen and another member of the Foundation board.
The research projects presented cover subjects as diverse as CO2 neutrality, hydrogen as a source of energy and the possibilities for heat recovery in combined heat and power plants. The Boysen/TU Dresden graduate course established in June 2012 goes a step further. Based on interdisciplinary cooperation with academics in communication and politics, its aim is to conduct research into the requirements for future energy concepts to gain acceptance from the general public.
After the presentations, the doctoral candidates and their supervisors took questions from the audience, including Boysen CEO Rolf Geisel and the former Chairman of the Foundation board, Professor Ernst Messerschmid, who was an astronaut on board the US space shuttle Challenger on its space flight in 1985.
There was a seamless transition from university research to the practical world of Boysen's business. The fact that the energy revolution can be much more than just a vague concept was demonstrated by the presentation of the Boysen Turmfeld production plant. By consistently using alternative energies such as geothermal and photovoltaics, in 2011 Boysen realised its vision of a CO2 neutral factory for energy self-sufficient production of exhaust technology. The doctoral candidates were impressed by the facts and figures, even more so by the subsequent tour of the Boysen testing facilities and the BAK production plant in Simmersfeld. "The equipment that Boysen provides its employees with and the way production is organised here are incredible", said one of the guests. "I can imagine that working for this company is really enjoyable."
Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation
Since 1996, the charitable Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation has been supporting academic study and research in the field of environmental technology, with a particular emphasis on developing engineering solutions to reduce harmful emissions, noise and energy consumption. More than 5.4 million Euro has been donated to date. At present, around 20 individual projects each year are supported. The foundation also awards prizes for outstanding student papers, dissertations and doctoral theses in the field of environmental technology and environmental protection at Dresden Techical University (TU), the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart.
Boysen develops and produces sheet metal manifolds, catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, silencers and complete exhaust systems for cars, commercial vehicles and off-highway applications. The company's major customers include the German vehicle manufacturers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and VW, the English brands Bentley and Rolls Royce and the commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN.
The group of companies currently employs around 2,000 people at twelve domestic and international sites. In addition to the development and administration centre and the production plant in Altensteig, Boysen has production sites in Simmersfeld, Salching and Plauen, and also in France, Egypt, India, China and the USA.
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In case of any queries, please contact:
Christian Grimm
Marketing Team Leader
BIN Boysen Innovationszentrum Nagold GmbH & Co. KG
Lise-Meitner-Straße 21
72202 Nagold
Tel. 07452/83988-20
Fax 07452/83988-99
E-mail christian.grimm@bin.boysen-online.de
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