• 1. Trends, potentials and challenges
• 2. Aims and strategies for NRW
• 3. Main areas of work and projects of the clusters

The Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are an essential innovation driver in the automobile industry. ICT based applications and solutions represent a large part of the challenges of on-board automobile systems which can only be successfully overcome if both sectors work together. 

>> amc<< was founded in mid-2009 as a cross-sector initiative network of the ICT.NRW state cluster, the network of automotive excellence, AutoCluster.NRW, and the firms IMST GmbH, Kamp-Lintfort and Materna GmbH, Dortmund. The initiative is open to further networks, firms, associations and organisations. The work in the cross-sector initiative network is intended to help the networks and firms taking part, to indicate future-oriented strategies for both sectors, and to initiate and oversee their implementation.

This is achieved through:

• a reciprocal exchange of experience between partners in both sectors
• identification and relevance assessment of trends, processes/methods and technologies for both sectors
• use of synergies in research and development activities
• concentration of joint endeavours for reduction of development times and/or development costs
• optimised and accelerated implementation of innovations in both sectors

The  >> amc<< opening event is planned for 11 November 2009 in Dortmund. High-ranking experts from both sectors will highlight the most important trends and challenges for joint innovation projects and invite others to collaborate. It has been possible to acquire the national "Network of Automotive Excellence" as a partner, which previously based its main activities in Munich. The firms Materna GmbH from Dortmund and IMST GmbH from Kamp-Lintfort have also committed themselves with the assignment of personnel and the provision of material resources.

In a first analysis,>> amc<< has already identified the following synergy potentials and these also represent the first possible main areas of collaborative work:

• Analysis of the different innovation cycles for electronics and software
• Analysis of the safety requirements for intelligent vehicle systems
• Reliability of automobile electronics
• Integration of the automobile into a constantly developing Internet
• Car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure systems
• New driver assistance systems
• Information distribution in the automobile
• The automobile as a node in the Internet of Things
• Information and communications technology for the automobile

Working topics are:

• Vision - Automobile communication in 2020
• Analysis of the different innovation cycles for machinery, electronics and software
• Car2X
  • Technical background, objectives, standardisation
  • Operating test systems and first results
  • Mobile radio as a basis for Car2X?
  • Applications in the fields of safety, information and service and toll systems
  • Infrastructure, who pays? Which business models?
  • Data security, security against hacker attacks, privacy
• The automobile as a network node in a communications system
• Technology for information processing in the automobile
• Satellite navigation, GPS, Galileo
• Radio transmission technology, vehicle antennae
• Vehicle sensor systems, vehicle buses, remote diagnostics technology
• MMI information systems
• Information services and content

Landescluster alt

IKT alt

Automotive alt