ARENA2036
The research campus ARENA2036
ARENA2036 stands for “Active Research Environment for the Next Generation of Automobiles”. The purpose of the Stuttgart-based research campus ARENA2036 is to explore and develop the automotive production of the future with a clear focus on the year 2036, the 150 years’ anniversary of the automobile. The research campus ARENA2036 aims at developing and implementing a vision for what the links between mobility, production and sustainability could be like in 2036. To achieve this aim, ARENA2036 brings together stakeholders from industry and science under one roof.
The vision
How is the research campus making a difference?
The fields of mobility and production are key factors when it comes to prosperity, quality of life and sustainability. At the same time, the challenges of our mobility and production behaviour are becoming ever more clear: enabling resource-efficient and resilient production and developing sustainable transport options are only a few of the issues that will shape the future of mobility. This is where the research campus ARENA2036 comes in. It brings together players from science and industry in interdisciplinary projects to help design automotive production for the future.
The projects and activities of the research campus are carried out at the Stuttgart-Vaihingen university campus, in a high-tech research factory which was built in 2016 and received the German Industrial Building Award. The area of approx. 10,000 m2 is home to, among others, four joint projects in the second funding phase: Agile InnovationHub, Digital Fingerprint, FlexCAR and Fluid Production. They are the strategic pillars of collaboration at the research campus ARENA2036.
The synergies that ensue between the partner organisations are the key to successful co-creative work in the various different projects. Based on excellent fundamental and application-oriented research, the different partners are developing innovations which are transferred directly into industry through the partner companies. This is supported by so-called “accelerator programmes” and “speed boat projects” which also form part of the research campus and which connect start-ups to major companies and organisations, for example.
Research priorities
What is the main focus of the research campus?
The research campus ARENA2036 connects topics of production and mobility, which take priority in the metropolitan area of Stuttgart, with the thematic fields of sustainability, connectivity and transformation of work. Its stakeholders engage in research not only on new forms of mobility, but also on modern options for intralogistics and other essential parts of the supply and value chain. They combine a broad spectrum of technologies and, among other things, test their impact on the workflow on the shop floor. The collaboration of the various different partners at the research campus ARENA2036 also enables the integration of new technologies such as 5G or AI systems into existing processes, for example. Researchers at the research campus ARENA2036 are not only implementing new products and technologies, but also developing new ways of working.