Organizational Structure

The scientists at BIBA carry out research in the two divisions:

• “Intelligent Production and Logistics Systems (IPS)”, headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Freitag
• “ICT applications for production” (IKAP), headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Klaus-Dieter Thoben

Headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Freitag

Industry 4.0 technologies, in particular cyber-physical production and logistics systems, and new opportunities for robot-supported automation of logistic processes are strong forces for changes in production and logistics systems. Intensive global competition as well as changing and diverse customer requirements boost the necessity for using these technologies, while at the same time develop adaptive, flexible and dynamic production and logistics systems. However, these systems can only unfold their full capacity, if their planning and control are more decentralized and dynamic. Against this background, BIBA’s research division Intelligent Production and Logistics Systems (IPS) sees its major tasks in the research, development and application of Industry 4.0 technologies for production and logistics, in the automation of logistic processes with the help of these innovative technologies, and in the development of efficient and practice-suited planning and control methods for production and logistics. Findings from joint research with the department of Planning and Control of Production and Logistics Systems (PSPS) at the University of Bremen are implemented with prominent production and logistics enterprises. This also happens as part of the Bremen Research Cluster for Dynamics in Logistics (LogDynamics), and here particularly with the LogDynamics Lab, where Industry 4.0 technologies and cyber-physical production and logistics systems are prototyped and tested.

The division Intelligent Production and Logistics Systems consists of the three departments

• System Design and Planning (Head: Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Stephan Oelker)
• Data Analytics and Process Optimization (Head: Dr.-Ing. Michael Lütjen)
• Robotics and Automation (Head: Christoph Petzoldt)

Headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Klaus-Dieter Thoben

High performing co-operations between independent companies with the aim to develop and to realise customised products are an important success factor for the competitiveness of the European industry. Due to immense political changes and global markets, new ways of co-operations, so called enterprise networks, can be seen in addition to the traditional supply chains. These enterprise networks are often formed to realise a single customers’ order and play an important role during the conceptual phase (product design) as well as during the realisation phase (production).

The research unit IKAP prepares, develops and realises methods and tools to support co-operative, inter-organisational enterprise networks. The research concentrates on efficient and effective collaborative design and production processes by applying innovative information and communication technologies (ICT). As focus can be seen the collaborative acting of enterprises during distributed design and production processes as well as during the late processes of the product life cycle such as the usage phase or the recycling phase.

The research results are integrated in the academic education of the next generation engineers (mechanical engineering, industrial management, systems engineering) at the University of Bremen. Another application field of the research results are industrial projects where innovative approaches are transferred to practical problems.

The research unit BIBA-IKAP is divided into three departments

• Intelligent ICT for co-operative production (Head: Dipl.-Inform. Karl Hribernik)
• Collaborative Business in Enterprise networks (Head: Stefan Wiesner)
• Integrated Product and Process design (Head: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Müller)