Press release – April 28, 2023

CONTACT wins special award for research and development

During the Factory Innovation Awards at the Hannover Messe, CONTACT Software was honored with a special price for research and development. With its dedicated department CONTACT Research, the company pioneers digital innovations for the sustainable industry of tomorrow. 

The Factory Innovation Award is one of the most important distinctions for smart factory software in Europe. In this year’s category “Industry 4.0 in practice”, CONTACT Software made it to the finals with a shopfloor solution that allows thyssenkrupp Dynamic Components to control its global production via Elements for IoT. At the award ceremony, which was held during the Hannover Messe, the jury presented CONTACT with a special prize for research and development. The award recognizes the company’s efforts to transfer research results into practice, specifically the integration of the Asset Administration Shell (AAS). 

Last year, CONTACT consolidated its research activities under the roof of a dedicated research department. “With CONTACT Research, we want to quickly transfer research results in the areas of PLM and IoT into industrial practice, thereby advancing the transformation of industry”, says Lucas Kirsch of CONTACT Research. “To see our work recognized in this way makes us particularly proud.” The department’s research focuses on methods and technologies that incorporate sustainability and the circular economy into the value-creating processes of companies. 

These research topics were also reflected in CONTACT’s presentation program at the Hannover Messe. The company demonstrated how energy consumption can be identified and optimized using smart energy monitoring and which technologies help meet the requirements for sustainable products and resource-efficient production. The program was rounded off with a lecture on the AASHub research project, which illustrated how the AAS can be easily integrated into the digital twin. The lecture recordings can be accessed on the Hannover Messe website after a login. 

At the prostep ivip Symposium on May 3 and 4 in Stuttgart, Germany, CONTACT will once again provide insights into its research. Among other topics, visitors can look forward to a presentation on Life Cycle Assessment in automotive production.