UdZ 01.21

UdZ 2-2021 / 9 The opposite of theory is practice. This widely held notion often implies that scientific findings are not always suitable for everyday use. But the fact that not all theory is the same and that science and practice are dependent on each other, despite all their differences, is already captured by FIR at RWTH Aachen University ’s motto: “ Research. Innovation. Realization. ” 1 At FIR , all research activities aim to create implementable solutions for real challenges from practice. To this end, it is essential to bridge the seemingly different worlds of theory and practice, and FIR achieves this through collaboration with industry, knowledge and technology transfer, and further education offerings on many levels. Last but not least, FIR has positioned itself as the leading institute of the Smart Logistics Cluster on RWTH Aachen Campus and has been successfully fulfilling this role for over 10 years. I ncreasing globalization and rapid technological progress make it ever more important to communicate new findings on processes and applications and to provide models and methods. The current development of the business environment does not only accelerate corporate change processes, it also increases the complexity of strategies, organizations and processes. With the increasing volatility of markets, it is also becoming more and more difficult to predict events. In view of the multitude of new challenges in a world that is changing ever faster, a company’s resources easily reach their limits. This is where FIR comes in with its application-oriented research in the field of business organization, corporate IT, and information logistics. Practical problems are transformed into solutions for the digital interconnection of the economy, serving as a basis for innovations in the manufacturing industry. Under the rubric of Industrial Management, FIR undertakes research, teaches and provides qualification programs in the areas of Business Transformation , Service Management , Information Management , and Production Management . It explores digital networking topics as well as new technologies and business models with their impacts on the strategic, organizational and operational transformation of industrial companies. The Aachen-based research institute shares this knowledge within the research community and with companies alike. The institute’s activities serve the goal of sustainably increasing the productivity and competitiveness of businesses. FIR supports companies in the Smart Logistics Cluster by tapping the optimization and value creation potential that digitalization, global networking, and new technologies offer at many levels. The focus is on questions of data processing and the optimal provision 1 Founded in 1953 as the Research Institute for Rationalization (FIR) e. V., the institute interprets “FIR” today as “Research. Innovation. Realization.” (“Forschung. Innovation. Realisierung,” in German). of information, because as digitalization continues to advance, the company of the future will largely be an information-processing system. The ability to generate information from data and make the right decisions faster based on this information will be decisive for the future success of a company. Gaining, Applying and Providing Knowledge How does FIR ensure a high level of practical relevance and thus the economic benefit of its activities? The basis of FIR’s success is its businessmodel, which reflects the virtuous cycle between research achievements and practical successes that is typical of FIR ’s approach. Research projects address and solve problems that have been identified as recurring, structural problems in the context of industrial contract research. The research results are subsequently applied in practice. Equipped with the knowledge and insights generated in this interplay of research and application, FIR trains industry professionals in events and continuing education courses, develops these insights further into manageable methods and standards, and transfers them into real-world applications together with the centers in the Smart Logistics Cluste r. NetworkingWith Partners Opens Up Potential This interaction between science and industry takes place on many levels, involving companies, associations, research institutions and, not least, politics and research institutions as sponsors of applied research. For example, as a founding member of the Johannes Rau Research Association , FIR strengthens the research strategy of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Furthermore, it is a member of the Zuse Association , which represents the interests of privately organized research institutions at the federal level. As a research center of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) , FIR is involved in projects charting new directions for the future of industry. Not least, it benefits from