Research groups and institutes

A number of research groups and institutes have been established at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, which deal with research and development questions on research topics.

The research group Applied Cyber Security Darmstadt at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is specialized in the protection of IT systems and applications in the environment of automotive, railway, computer networks, embedded systems, IoT and cloud.

The AWA research group at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences conducts application-oriented research and development in the areas of industrial and medium-sized product creation as well as construction and crafts. It designs and adapts methods, concepts and technologies in the context of Industry 4.0 and transfers them to a wide range of industries. The interdisciplinary team uses knowledge from the engineering sciences, in particular the scientific disciplines of electrical engineering, computer science and mechanical engineering, whereby their scientific focus lies primarily on the research, use and further development of methods, processes and technologies in the areas of robotics, automation and cyber-physical systems within product creation, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as well as the application of artificial intelligence within the entire product life cycle.

The CCASS - Competence Center for Applied Sensor Systems of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology is a competence center for applied sensor technology with a research and development focus on object tracking and navigation in space. For the realization of corresponding navigation systems as well as for the further development of the current state of the art in this field, the CCASS with its broadly diversified sensor competence is a central contact point for companies and other research institutions. Close cooperation is maintained with both the Center for Sensor Systems (ZESS) at the University of Siegen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA).

The CRA Center for Robotics and Automation is a center of excellence jointly run by the three departments of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Computer Science and Mathematics and Natural Sciences, which deals with research and development issues in the fields of industrial robotics and factory automation. These include the development of PLC-based automation technologies, of elements for visualization and process control (WinCC) or the solution of safety issues in the field of robotics and automation.

The research group da/sec is affiliated with the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt and the National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE. Its research activities focus on highly innovative and applied IT security research in the fields of biometrics, internet security and digital forensics.

The Darmstadt Institute for Statistics & Operations Research (DISO) is a competence center of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, which supports students, doctoral candidates, and professors of the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in planning, implementing, and applying research and development projects in which methods from statistics and operations rearch are applied.

The Darmstadt Institute for Business Psychology in the Department of Social Sciences pursues the goal of interlocking business psychology research and practice with studies and teaching. It promotes the acquisition of scientific knowledge as well as the scientific and practice-oriented foundation and further development of teaching and studies in the field of business psychology. To promote research activities and to ensure the practical orientation of teaching, it maintains contact with companies and organizations, scientific associations and other universities in the field of business psychology.

The research group Human-Comuter Interaction & Visual Analytics (vis) researches and develops the entire transformation of raw data, from the extraction of meaningful information via machine learning methods to interactive analytical visualizations. This includes the development of new algorithms for data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as research into methods and approaches for interaction with visual systems. The application-oriented approaches and processes are constantly expanding the state of the art in science and technology, while meeting industry standards. They research and develop to enable people to make more precise decisions through visual analytics, intelligent information systems and information visualization. Exemplary application domains are technology and innovation management, business analytics, mobility, healthcare and many more.

The Institut für mechanische und mechatronische Systeme (im2s) (Institute for Mechanical and Mechatronic Systems) is a scientific institution of the department of mechanical and plastics engineering in the field of mechanical and mechatronic systems. It pursues the goal of dovetailing "research and development" with "study and teaching". Accordingly, the institute supports and coordinates research and development tasks of its members and maintains contact with companies, associations, authorities as well as other university institutions.

The Institute for Applied Computer Science Darmstadt (aiDa), located in the Department of Computer Science, develops research prototypes in cooperation with partner companies and evaluates new information technologies with regard to their practical applicability. In the form of practice-oriented projects, the aiDa integrates research and development elements into teaching and, in addition, establishes a technology transfer between university and industry, with the emphasis on small to medium-sized companies.

The Institute for Design Research (IDF), founded in 2009, is a scientific institution of the Design Faculty. It promotes the acquisition of scientific and design findings as well as the scientific and design foundation and further development of teaching and studies in the field of industrial design. The institute's main topics include technological and design issues in the context of innovative product developments, the linking of technology and human factors, the development and testing of design processes and design methods, and the scientific and design examination of phenomena of everyday culture.

The Institute for Information Law (i2r) is another research and development institution of the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work. The Institute deals with current developments and resulting issues in the fields of e-commerce, intellectual property and copyright EDP law Data protection International law E-government law. The Institute accompanies current developments and the questions arising from them in the above-mentioned areas, such as the further development of m-commerce in the area of the UMTS system, the question of the patentability of software or the use of electronic administrative decisions in public administration.

The main focus of the Institute for Communication and Media (ikum) is the bundling of the research, development and consulting activities of the Media Department. Through the Institute, the Department cooperates with companies, institutions, other research facilities and non-profit organizations. The ikum is divided into the seven areas of eResearch, Journalism, Communication, Learning, Media Aesthetics, Media Ethics and Media Systems. In these areas, the ikum conducts applied research in the form of technology research, media usage studies, content strategy research, information organization, and the exploration of new ways of using media.

The Institute for Design and Product Development promotes the interlocking of research and development with studies and teaching in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Plastics Technology.

The Institut for Plastics Technology Darmstadt (ikd) is a scientific institution of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Plastics Technology. It pursues the goal of interlocking "research and development" with "study and teaching". Accordingly, the institute supports and coordinates research and development tasks of its members and maintains contact with companies, associations, authorities and other higher education institutions in the field of plastics technology. In addition, offers of further vocational training are developed within the framework of a scientific consolidation and supplementation of practical professional experience.

The Institute of Communications Engineering (IN) is organizationally assigned to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and offers a wide range of topics in the field of communications engineering, which are dealt with within the scope of research and development activities. Currently, these activities are focused on the fields of high-frequency and microwave engineering, communication networks and communication systems, optical communications engineering and photonic networks, multimedia technology and electromagnetic compatibility.

The Institute for Social Work and Social Policy (ISASP) of the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work pursues the goal of deepening applied research in the field of social work and social policy and supporting the profile of the department in terms of content. In doing so, a close link between research and teaching as well as the qualification of the students of the department during their studies is to be achieved. In addition to various questions of social policy, the Institute's main topics include the problem-adequate design of social services of general interest and questions and problems of social integration.

MOWICOM is a research centre for mobile and wireless communication systems in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and is headed by Prof. Dr. Michael Kuhn. MOWICOM's focus lies in the areas of Software-Defined Radio (SDR), Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANET), sensor networks and localisation within buildings. MOWICOM works closely with the CIT in Cork (Ireland) and KU Leuven (Belgium).

In the Laboratory for Optical Diagnostic Methods and Renewable Energies (ODEE) at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, research is conducted on the application of optical, mostly laser-based, non-invasive measurement techniques for the analysis of reacting flows and high-temperature processes for research into modern energy sources.

The permanently established special research group on institutional analysis (sofia) at the Department of Social Sciences investigates regulatory options for action at regional, national or European level on the basis of an interdisciplinary research approach. The research approach, which combines the work of legal scholars and economists as well as engineers, social and natural scientists, also aims to analyze options for action with regard to their obstacles and enforcement options in order to improve the institutional framework conditions in private and public organisations.

The Centre for Sustainable Economic and Corporate Policy (ZNWU) is an institute of the Department of Economics. It combines research activities that examine microeconomic and macroeconomic issues in the context of societal developments. ZNWU's research stands in the interplay between societal and organization-specific processes of transformation and expectation formation.