New ThIMo research building opens

Thuringia's Minister of Economics Wolfgang Tiefensee today, together with the managing director of the State Development Company Thuringia Ltd. (LEG), Andreas Krey, inaugurated a new research building of the “Thuringian Innovation Center Mobility” (ThIMo). LEG built the facility for an investment sum of three million euros and will lease it long‑term to the TU Ilmenau. “With ThIMo we want to support Thuringian automotive suppliers in developing new, energy‑ and resource‑saving drives and technologies and to prepare them in time for the structural change in the automotive sector,” said Tiefensee. In the new building, test and laboratory rooms are being created for the development and optimisation of energy‑efficient drives, especially combustion engines. LEG managing director Andreas Krey is also very satisfied with the development of the research and development centre: “In a very short time ThIMo has established itself as an important catalyst for the intended transformation of the automotive and automotive supplier industry towards sustainable mobility. In the new building scientists and their industry partners find the best conditions to further promote the development of sustainable drive concepts in the future.” The two‑storey modern building of the Thuringian Innovation Center Mobility was erected in the immediate vicinity of the Ilmenau university campus on the edge of the town of Langewiesen and provides space for a total of 15, prospectively up to 25 employees. In addition to office and laboratory rooms, four engine and turbocharger test rigs are housed here. The engine test rigs enable the further development of both conventional and hybrid engines up to 500 hp. To make better use of exhaust energy for turbochargers, test rigs are available that can reach exhaust temperatures of up to 1 100 °C. The facilities are used, among others, by a research team around Prof. Dr. Werner Eißler, holder of a research professorship at TU Ilmenau endowed by IHI Charging Systems International. The scientists aim to reduce the energy consumption and pollutant emissions of engines as well as to increase the reliability and service life of modern turbochargers. Eißler is confident that, thanks to Thuringian research activities, the automotive industry will have highly efficient vehicle drives on the market within ten years that run on sustainably produced fuels: “The Thuringian Innovation Center Mobility will make an important contribution to environmental protection. Up to ten scientists can research the reduction of CO₂ emissions here.” ThIMo spokesperson Prof. Dr. Matthias Hein adds: “Energy‑efficient drives are a key element for the mobility of the future. The new research infrastructure gives ThIMo even more innovative strength and a unique position in Thuringia and far beyond.“ Background: ThIMo The Thuringian Innovation Center for Mobility was established at the TU Ilmenau in 2011 to advance research and development in the field of sustainable mobility. With a total volume of 29 million euros, ThIMo is the largest individual project at the TU Ilmenau. The Ministry of Economics and Science is funding the center with around 22 million euros – the funds flow, among other things, into the financing of five research groups as well as equipment and facilities. At ThIMo, scientists from up to 30 specialist areas work on project-related environmentally friendly and resource-saving vehicle concepts together with industrial partners. The research focuses and core competencies range from electromobility, energy-efficient drives and powertrain to radio and information technology as well as plastics technology and lightweight construction. For many Thuringian companies that are partners of the innovation center, ThIMo develops concrete solutions. More information at: www.mobilitaet-thueringen.dePress release from the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society dated January 13, 2016