Dr. ing. Jan Post, Philips Consumer Lifestyle in Drachten, has been appointed as honorary Professor Digital fabrication in the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (RUG). Jan is also responsible for the HTSM Roadmap theme Manufacturing and Mechatronics and very active in the Smart Industries initiative.
Within M2i we know Jan as the industrial contact person for Philips CLS in over 20 M2i research and valorization projects, mostly focussing on advanced modelling of the deformation behaviour and heat treatment effects in advanced high strength steels.
RUG and Industry in the Northern Part of the Netherlands, joined forces within the Smart Industries initiative which stands for the mass digitization of industry. Products are becoming intelligent, consumers and companies will be continuously in touch with each other via the Internet (allowing manufacturers to offer new services). New information technology (‘Big Data’) will render factories to be much more efficient and flexible. In Smart Industry, experts recognize opportunities to restore the competitive position of the manufacturing industry in regions with relatively high labor market costs, such as the Netherlands.
The aims of the University of Groningen academic roadmap for Smart Industries are to develop new fundamental knowledge, to create a conceptual foundation for current smart industry initiatives, and to train and inspire students in a variety of Master programs.