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Siegen Research Projects Receive EU Award
Two research projects from the University of Siegen have received the European Paper Recycling Council Award in Brussels. They are exploring ways to increase efficiency in the paper industry through artificial intelligence.
Two different research projects from the University of Siegen earned the European Paper Recycling Council Award this past February from the European Parliament in Brussels. EU Member of Parliament Susana Solís Pérez conferred the prize to project partners in the category of “Innovative Technologies and R&D” to the KIBAPap (AI-based Assistance System for Paper Machine Operators) and ODiWiP (Self-learning Assistance System for Optimized Paper Production) teams. Both projects are located at the University of Siegen under the leadership of Professor Peter Burggräf at the Teaching Chair for International Production Engineering and Management (IPEM).
The KIBAPap project receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Along the paper recycling chain, data is collected and analyzed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data techniques. The project aims to optimize the paper production process and help adjust process parameters to the quality of the available raw materials. This is all part of the overall goal of conserving resources and thus having a positive impact not only on profitability, but also on the environment. Participants in the three-year program include the IPEM at the University of Siegen as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, the Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, the ITA at the RWTH Aachen, as well as private companies LEIPA Group GmbH, Veolia Umweltservice GmbH, PROPAKMA GmbH, and Consultingtalents AG.
“Within the framework of KIBAPap, we intend to use artificial intelligence to optimize paper recycling, conserve resources, and to bring implicit knowledge held by employees into the explicit realm. These are all essential elements in establishing sustainable paper recycling in harmony with social, ecological, and economic interests. Which makes us all the more delighted that we’ve received our second straight European Paper Recycling Council Award, following in the footsteps of the EnEWA project in 2021,” says Alexander Becher, director of ODiWiP and KIBAPap at the University of Siegen.
The ODiWiP project, which ended in March 2023 after receiving funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), successfully developed and implemented a functional demonstrator (TRL 6) of an AI-based assistance system for the use of a paper-making machine. This self-optimizing assistance system offers an efficient option for monitoring the production process, enabling early identification and resolution of quality issues while also safeguarding the machine operator’s decision-making authority.
“In general, topics related to resource efficiency and the circular economy are of growing importance,” Becher says. “This is why we see it as particularly crucial to engage in research that industry can put to direct use.”
Contact:
Alexander Becher
Email: alexander.becher@uni-siegen.de