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The event was opened by the Mayor of Augsburg, Eva Weber, and the President of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Gordon Thomas Rohrmair. Ms. Weber, who as Head of Economic Development and Deputy Mayor encouraged and always constructively supported the founding of the company at the time, praised the innovations and investments of the "new player" ITA Augsburg, which has positioned itself perfectly in the ecosystem between the Innovation Park, Technology Center, University and Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA). Prof. Rohrmair emphasized the close cooperation between ITA and THA and referred to the showcase project "Recycling Atelier", which makes a relevant contribution to the establishment of sustainable textile process chains in an industry-oriented manner.
Prof. Schlichter outlined the historical development of the ITA, which has been dedicated to sustainability in the field of textile materials since 2014. He presented the three central research fields of ITA: Web Based Composites (sustainable fibre composite concepts), Recycling Atelier (recycling of apparel textiles) and Artificial Intelligence (AI to support textile production chains). The initial objective of the ITA was the reuse of carbon fibres and CFRP components produced with high energy consumption in new textile structures. The research work, which has been ongoing for almost 10 years, has been crowned with success and has led, among other things, to the establishment of this class of materials in industry and research. The increasing relevance of the textile circular economy led to the founding of the "Recycling Atelier" in 2022. The model workshop was presented as an important industrial research project that covers all process steps of textile recycling and is supported and used by industry-leading companies. The close interlinking of digitalization, artificial intelligence and sustainable process design plays an increasingly relevant role, which led to the establishment of the third research field "Artificial Intelligence".
As the new head of the institute, Prof. Cetin brought fresh impetus and presented innovative approaches in the field of mechanical recycling of used textiles. Against the backdrop of unstable international supply chains, he emphasized the need to make the German industrial landscape more resilient. He sees the circular economy as an opportunity to secure the supply of raw materials and revitalize the textile industry in Germany. In addition, current research projects at ITA were presented, including "Design-4-Recycling" for the component production of wind turbines and "AI-supported pile optimization" in nonwoven production. The cooperation with the ITA Group and Augsburg University of Applied Sciences as well as the integration of AI in the production of nonwovens were emphasized as decisive steps for the future. In addition, the development and research work is always carried out with the involvement of the know-how and infrastructure of the entire ITA Group, emphasized Professor h.c. (MGU) Dr.-Ing. Prof. Gries, head of the ITA Group during the concluding panel discussion.
Prof. Cetin concluded with the guiding principle: "Innovative technologies, research and sought-after personalities for a future: Environmentally friendly. Circular. Human." With a broad network of research and industry, we are taking big steps towards an environmentally friendly, cycle-oriented future. Interested parties, from SMEs to large corporations, are cordially invited to visit the ITA Augsburg at any time.

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Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Felix Merkord, felix.merkord@ita.rwth-aachen.de

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Weitere Informationen:
https://www.ita.rwth-aachen.de/cms/ITA/Das-Institut/Aktuelle-Meldungen/~bestno/Weltbewegende-Themen-Personeller-Wechs/?lidx=1