FrontSeat at WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center

On October 24, as part of the technical program of the FrontSeat Consortium Meeting, the consortium members of the project FrontSeat enjoyed a guided visit to the former automotive factory in Bochum, which has been transformed into a state-of-the-art WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center.

This innovative space not only provides cutting-edge technologies but also serves as a unique environment where the tradition of automotive manufacturing meets contemporary creative design.

Through the insightful presentations, the visitors learn more about the interesting history of this place and the main mission of the WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center.

The visitors actively discussed also the possibilities for supporting the innovative research ideas and business projects of the students.

This place has a long tradition in industrial production. In the place of the original mining spot, the automotive Opel factory was opened in 1962. After a long period of successful production, the factory was closed in 2014. Next, this area has been carefully rebuilt into the vital modern WORLDFACTORY Start-up Center.

The spirit of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is present in all parts of this innovative center.

The WORLDFACTORY has been designed to support the development and evolution of innovative ideas, bridging the industrial heritage of the location with a modern, collaborative atmosphere that encourages forward-thinking business and technological advancements.

Consortium members visited many laboratories providing cutting-edge technologies including innovative machines processing textile or wood, and 3D printers for plastic materials, metals, and even ceramics. Some of the supported projects are aiming to improve the environment in developing countries or to preserve the valuable objects of the World’s cultural heritage.

The Flight Laboratory of RUB is a part of this innovative research space.
The German Chancellor visited this innovative center, read more here.

A local curiosity – the original door from the former automotive Opel factory, nowadays in service just on special occasions.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon under grant no. 101079342 (Fostering Opportunities Towards Slovak Excellence in Advanced Control for Smart Industries).