Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

Construction of the new building on the Esplanade 1998

Appointment to Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (2012): THI President Walter Schober (left) with the Bavarian Science Minister Wolfgang Heubisch.

The Hohe Schule in Ingolstadt

After its foundation in 1994, the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt started teaching at the Hohe Schule in the old town of Ingolstadt. The first course of study in business administration started with 90 students and three professors. The founding president is Hartmut Sax.

In 1999, the university moved into its new building at the Esplanade. The number of students rose to 700 and the range of courses now included five diploma degree programs. Gunter Schweiger became the second president. In 2004, an amendment to the Bavarian Higher Education Act made research a core task of universities of applied sciences alongside teaching. Therefore, the Institut für Angewandte Forschung (Institute for Applied Research, IAF) was founded at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt.[2]

In 2008, the Institut für Akademische Weiterbildung (Institute for Academic Continuing Education, IAW) was founded as Bavaria's first faculty for further education. From this point on, the university has had three operating areas: teaching, research and further education.[3] The university's study center in the historic old town of Neuburg a.d. Donau was established in 2009.[4] In 2012, Walter Schober followed Gunter Schweiger as president.[5] In 2015, new campus buildings were inaugurated. The THI campus was thus expanded by an additional 9,200 square meters and almost doubled in size.[6] Then, in 2016, the CARISSMA (Center of Automotive Research on Integrated Safety Systems and Measurement Area) research and test center was inaugurated. It is designed to be a nationwide scientific centre for vehicle safety and is the first research facility at a university of applied sciences in Germany.[7] Also, a research branch of the Instituts für neue Energie-Systeme (Institute for New Energy Systems, InES) and a branch of the Graduate Centre were established in the Neuburg Study Centre.[8]

In 2017 was inaugurated Villa Heydeck: The former director's villa in the north of the foundry grounds became an official THI building.[9] The Audi Confucius Institute Ingolstadt (AKII), a non-profit institution for the promotion of knowledge of the Chinese language and culture,[10] was founded. In addition to strengthening intercultural understanding, AKII`s purpose is to promote German-Chinese cooperation in the fields of technology, innovation, sustainability and management. These specializations are unique among Confucius Institutes worldwide.[11] As part of the "FH Impuls" initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, THI received almost 6 million euros over a period of four years for the strategic partnership SAFIR (Safety for all - Innovative Research Partnership on Global Vehicle and Road Safety Systems).[12]

In 2018, the THI and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) launched the joint project "Mensch in Bewegung", which aims at increasing the transfer of technology and knowledge to the region. As part of the federal funding initiative “Innovative Hochschule” ("Innovative University"), the THI and the KU received 15 million euros over a period of five years.[13] Also, the Bavarian Council of Ministers decided to expand the THI by 2,500 students in Ingolstadt and by 1,200 students on a new campus in Neuburg a. d. Donau. At the Ingolstadt campus, the new study field of Health and Life Sciences was established in the winter semester 2020-2021.[14] A new campus was built in Neuburg a. d. Donau with the study field Construction/ Energy/ Environment.[15] The Ingolstadt Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AININ - Artificial Intelligence Network Ingolstadt), which is based at the THI, was founded in 2019.[16] Also in that year, starting from the winter semester 2019-2020, the THI's three faculties were expanded and split into five faculties of:

• Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,
• Computer Science,
• Mechanical Engineering,
• Engineering and Management, and
• The THI Business School.[17]

Another thing that happened in 2019 was that in his governmental declaration, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder announced that the THI was to become a mobility node in the Bavaria-wide AI network as part of the High-Tech Agenda. The THI is the only university of applied sciences where such a node is located.[18]

In 2020, The Bavarian Center for Applied Research and Technology with Latin America[19] (AWARE) was founded at the THI in January.[20] In March 2020, the Fraunhofer-Anwendungszentrum für Vernetzte Mobilität und Infrastruktur (Fraunhofer Application Center for Integrated Mobility and Infrastructure) opened at the THI.[21]

On 4 October 2021, the THI opened its external location in Neuburg an der Donau. Around 100 students began studying in the degree programs "Sustainability and Environmental Management" and "Industrial Engineering and Construction".[22]

On 31 January 2022, the opening of Bavaria's first modular building of the Hightech Agenda Bayern at the Ingolstadt Campus with an integrated Entrepreneurship Lab was held by Minister President Markus Söder and Minister of Science Bernd Sibler.[23]

In May 2022, the Research and Transfer Centre Sustainability Neuburg (ForTraNN) was opened at the Neuburg Campus as part of the scientific conference "The Great Transformation", which is to deal with interdisciplinary sustainability research and transfer. In 2022, the Bavarian Foresight Institute was founded, which is dedicated to technology-oriented future research.[24]

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

THI – Interior view

The Ingolstadt campus is located directly next to the historic old town. The Neues Schloss and Ludwigstraße, the city's main shopping street, are in the immediate vicinity.[25][7]

The campus on the Esplanade covers an area of 60,000 square meters. Among other things, it accommodates the publicly accessible library of the THI, 80 lecture halls, project and seminar rooms, 18 large laboratories as well as 80 regular laboratories, PC pools and workshops.[26]

A new campus is being built at the Neuburg a. d. Donau location with the field of study Construction / Energy / Environment.[15]

The THI offers more than 80 courses of study in the five faculties of:

• Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,
• Computer Science,
• Mechanical Engineering,
• Engineering and Management and at
• the THI Business School.

The foundation of a further faculty "Sustainable Infrastructure" based in Neuburg a. d. Donau is in preparation.[17]

Dual studies are possible at the THI in the undergraduate Bachelor's as well as in the Master's program. There are two modes of study: joint studies and studies with in-depth practical experience. In joint studies, the course is combined with vocational training (IHK/HWK degree). Studies with in-depth practical experience combine studying at the THI with periods of practical experience in a company without completion of a vocational training.[27]

THI sees itself as an international university and, as of 2022, it cooperates with about 150 partner universities worldwide.[28]

The university offers a two-year support program called "THI Talent" for exceptionally talented and committed students.[29]

The Center of Entrepreneurship (CoE) at THI coordinates all start-up activities at the university. The Center's main task is to support competitive start-ups at the THI and to ensure the transfer of knowledge between research and practice. The university aims at promoting start-ups on its campus as well as in the region.[30]

The student club Schanzer Racing Electric e. V. takes part in international races.

There are a number of student clubs at the THI, including:

• Schanzer Racing Electric e. V., a racing team that builds electric racing cars and races internationally
• Students' Life, an association that organizes events for students
• Consult.IN e. V., a student consulting agency
• Eta-nol e. V., an association that develops a hybrid vehicle powered by ethanol and participates in races
• Our Future e. V., a non-profit association that is committed to sustainability
• Neuland Ingolstadt e.V., ein Informatik-Verein
• NEWEXIST, a start-up initiative
• N.I.C.E (Network and International Culture Exchange), a network that supports foreign students at the university
• Mabuhay Philippines Förderverein e. V., an association that initiates donation projects for the underprivileged in the Philippines
• Student Stock Exchange Club Ingolstadt e. V.
• Think - The student newspaper
• UNICEF University Group
• Catholic University Parish

There is also a wide range of sporting events for university students and staff.[36]

Research at the THI

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt is one of the strongest research universities in the field of applied science universities in Germany.[37] The university has a research volume of around 22 million euros per year. This volume corresponds to about one third of the university's budget and has almost tripled in the last four years, as of 2020.[2]

Research at THI is organised in seven internal research institutes - CARISSMA (C-IAD, C-ISAFE, C-ECOS), AImotion Bavaria, Institute for Innovative Mobility (IIMo) Institute for New Energy Systems (InES) and Research and Transfer Centre Sustainability Neuburg (ForTraNN). In addition, the university works closely with the three affiliated institutes AININ,[38] Fraunhofer Anwendungszentrum[39] and INAS.[40]

The three research institutes CARISSMA, the Institute for Innovative Mobility and the Institute for New Energy Systems are features in the HRK Research Map, which presents key research priorities of German universities.[41]

AI Mobility Node and Artificial Intelligence Network Ingolstadt (AININ)[16]

Logo AININ

Thematic cluster in the AI mobility node Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt was named a mobility node in the Bavarian network for artificial intelligence in October 2019 in a government declaration by Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder. The other nodes, Data Science, Health and Intelligent Robotics, are located in Munich, Würzburg and Erlangen at the local universities.

As a node, THI is responsible for coordinating research on AI mobility in Bavaria and receives additional funds for personnel and AI mobility research. The THI focuses on the topics of autonomous driving, unmanned flight and automobile production.[42]

The activities of the AI mobility node are pooled in the Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning AININ (Artificial Intelligence Network Ingolstadt), which was founded at THI in April 2019. In addition to mobility, AININ is also researching the application of AI in the areas of trade, health and production.

AININ brings together seven partners from science, business and society: The Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the city of Ingolstadt, the Klinikum Ingolstadt, AUDI AG and the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group. The different perspectives from science, business and society are designed to promote interdisciplinary approaches and ensure that AI solutions from one subject area can be quickly transferred to other areas. The aim is to transform research results into socially relevant products and production methods and into new companies.[16]

CARISSMA Research and Testing Center

The CARISSMA Research and Testing Center.

The THI is home to CARISSMA (Center of Automotive Research on Integrated Safety Systems and Measurement Area), Germany's first research facility at a university of applied sciences. The more than 120-metre-long building has been in use since 2016 and accommodates a total of ten testing facilities, including an indoor testing facility for collision tests and technical trials, a drop tower, a laboratory for Car2X-communication and a virtual simulation laboratory. There is also an outdoor testing area for complete vehicle testing as well as a driving simulator with a Hexapod motion platform and a pedestrian safety laboratory. CARISSMA researches for Vision Zero, the European Union's vision of zero road fatalities, in the fields of passive safety, integrated safety, testing systems and safe electric mobility. Through the close networking and integration of different fields of technology, CARISSMA is intended to provide a global safety system in the future.[43]

Institute for New Energy Systems (InES)

Since 2000, THI's research activities on renewable energies have been bundled at the Institut für neue Energie-Systeme (Institute for New Energy Systems, InES).

The application-oriented research at InES is mainly carried out in cooperation with medium-sized industrial partners as well as research institutes and partner universities. Furthermore, InES is active in several national and international research associations. Scientists of the institute are represented in a variety of national and international committees and advisory boards.[45]

The Institute for New Energy Systems (InES)

• Official website