Abstract:

University education and research in technical sciences is faced with the challenge to provide both, fundamental topics as well as cutting-edge technologies, and that within a fast developing technological environment. To face these challenges, Graz University of Technology has established several co-operations with industrial partners in the five fields of expertise Advanced Materials Science; Human & Biotechnology; Information, Communication & Computing; Mobility and Production and Sustainable Systems. In the area Mobility and Production, automotive engineering plays an important role.

In front of this background, the FSI (Frank Stronach Institute) was founded in 2003 as a public-private-partnership between Graz University of Technology and one of the world’s largest automotive supplier, Magna International Inc.. It brings together science, education and business in a unique and new way of cooperation which seeks to achieve international excellence in teaching and research in the field of automotive technologies. The FSI is organized in three Institutes, the Institute of Automotive Engineering, the Institute of Tools and Forming and the Institute of Production Science and Management, thus offering a broad spectrum of automotive related teaching and research.

Embedded into the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Economic Sciences, the FSI Institutes support the Bachelor and Master Programs with focus on the automotive sciences. In this context, more than 50 lectures are offered, and the students have a possibility to perform their Master Thesis und PhD projects. Most of these projects are integrated in research projects with industrial partners. As a very specific study program, the purely in English taught Master Program Production Science and Management provides comprehensive skills for future leaders in the automotive industry through a practice-oriented education, partly supported by external partners.

The present paper introduces the innovative concept behind FSI and highlights benefits of the university-industry collaboration within an independent academic institution. The integration of the institution into the study programs of Graz University of Technology is presented and various possibilities in terms of educational benefits for both partners as well as for students are discussed. In addition, potentials of co-operative research are highlighted by the discussion of exemplary Master- and PhD projects.