international - Bergische Universität Wuppertal

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Automobile cable network layout. Wuppertal houses the German HQ of the world’s biggest automotive supplier, Delphi, responsible for R&D in mobile infotainment
and automotive safety, as well as all electrical and electronic systems.
a Bergisch Car eduCAtinG AutoMotiVe
Suspension technology
from Vorwerk Autotec,
mechatronic systems from
Brose, navigation and communication
by Delphi, cable harness
from Coroplast, motors
from AVL Schrick, and paint
by Dupont – a complete list
of automotive suppliers from
the Bergisch region would
run to almost 300 entries.
Virtually everything needed
for the production of a car is
manufactured in the sister cities
of Remscheid, Solingen
and Wuppertal.
Not many people realize that
the so-called Bergisch Tri-
angle is one of North Rhine-
Westphalia’s major automotive
suppliers. one could even
build a car entirely with parts
manufactured here: components
that can be found in
cars the world over. Almost
16,000 people work in this
sector, making automotive
supply a central pillar of the
regional economy.
It is a sector characterized
by intense competition, especially
from countries with
lower production costs. For
regional enterprises this means
ever shorter product and
innovation cycles in order to
keep the initiative in the face
of global competition. UW is
an essential partner in maintaining
this competitive edge.
tAiLor-MAde suPPort
For r&d
Many examples of coope-
ration between UW and re-
gional automotive suppliers
demonstrate the value of
the university’s input for the
development of innovative
products. The frequently cited
Active Safety Car, an EUfunded
project established
jointly by the university with
Delphi and other enterprises,
and the Innovation Lab set
up together with the local
company Sachsenröder are
two such examples. No less
important, however, are the
cooperations that run silently,
with little or no publicity.
These range from the supervision
of degree theses and
internships to joint research
projects. Good personal contacts
with UW professors and
departments help companies
to quickly obtain the precise
R&D assistance they require.
sPeCiALists
UW is not only an important
R&D partner for the regional
automotive industry; it also
trains the engineers and managers
the industry in the
Bergisch Triangle so urgently
needs. Innovative companies
often suffer from a lack of
suitably qualified employees,
and together with the university,
the Chamber of Industry
and Commerce for Wuppertal,
Solingen and Remscheid
is making great efforts to
recruit students for relevant
degree programs – programs
that will, through projects and
practically oriented degree
theses, bring them into early
contact with regional com-
panies. Personal links of this
sort can, and often do, serve
as a springboard to a career
with the company concerned
.
FAsCinAtinG tAsKs And
A Good WorK-LiFe
bALAnCe For GrAduAtes
With a view to interesting
students early in their career
in the professional prospects
offered by the regional automotive
supply industry, the
Chamber of Industry and
Commerce, together with
the University of Wuppertal,
organizes visits to enterprises
in the area – companies that
offer interesting professional
prospects for graduates,
good promotion opportunities,
wide-ranging responsibi-
lities, and room for individual
ideas and decisions.
Coroplast is a company that
demonstrates the benefits of
making a career in the region
where one has studied. The
Wuppertal family enterprise
has been singled out for the
fourth time by the Corporate
Research Foundation (CRF)
for the Top Employer Award,
a distinction based on the
job security, remuneration,
and development opportunities
it offers its employees,
together with its corporate
culture, competitive position,
and concern to ensure compatibility
between work and
family life.
Klaus Appelt Dipl. Econ.
Wuppertal-solingenremscheid
Chamber of
industry and Commerce
Heinrich-Kamp-Platz 2
42103 Wuppertal
Tel. +49 (0)202 24 90-0
E-mail k.appelt@wuppertal.
ihk.de
k www.wuppertal.ihk24.de
04_UW_REGIoNAL
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