“The aim of the event is to raise awareness of digital innovations and to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt new technologies to increase productivity, flexibility, and competitiveness,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Šaltytė-Vaisiauskė, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at KU.
The event and training will be led by Dr. Volker Wittpahl, Affiliated Professor at Klaipeda University, who has been representing KU in Germany for many years, and now will share his experience in the fields of innovative technology transfer, energy efficiency, mobile batteries, alternative energy, autonomous robotic systems, and data security.
The event includes presentations on Industry 4.0, the role of artificial intelligence in production processes, cyber security, and other topical issues. A mobile laboratory from the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (Germany) will provide hands-on training workshops.
“Students are a crucial part of the Science-Business-Industry ecosystem. The University’s goal is to produce professionals with the competences and skills needed by businesses. By participating in joint events with representatives of business and industry, computer science and electrical engineering students have more opportunities to hear directly from companies about issues related to digital transformation, to choose internships, and to contribute to the implementation of digital innovations already during their studies,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Šaltytė-Vaisiauskė, Vice-Rector of Science and Innovation, who is delighted with the interest of KU students in the event.
The digitalization of industry has been going on for more than half a decade under the name Industry 4.0. In recent years, Germany has developed various initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing Industry 4.0 solutions. Following the example of the German SME Centers, the Industry 4.0 for the Maritime Economy of the Baltic States project has been launched by the Faculty of Marine Technology and Natural Sciences of Klaipėda University and the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (Germany).
It is a short-term (March-October 2024), but ambitious project – Balttechnika 2024 exhibition in Vilnius has identified the digitalization needs of companies, while the training in Klaipėda is aimed at helping Baltic companies to develop Industry 4.0 competences and to set up their transfer projects for the deployment of the solutions in the companies.
During the opening ceremony of Industry 4.0 for Baltic SMEs: Smart Manufacturing event, the participants were welcomed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Šaltytė-Vaisiauskė, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at KU, Prof. Viktor Senčila, the Dean of the Faculty of Marine Technology and Natural Sciences of KU, as well as Violeta Vlasovienė, the Member of the Board of Directors of the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Rima Mickevičienė, Head of the Department of Marine Engineering, the Faculty of Marine Technology and Natural Sciences, KU, is the one to help organize and moderate the event.
