News from the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics

We have found the ideal after-work sport for relaxing and socializing. At our chair's Christmas bowling event, the focus was not on strikes, spares and frames, but simply on having a good time with colleagues. Some had a flow, others more miss and some had sore muscles during the game - but all of us had a lot of fun together. The evening meal was followed by a few rounds of Junk Secret Santa. This time scented gifts were particularly popular. Summed up, our 1st Christmas bowling was a well-rounded affair.

Dr. Thomas WEISE, author of more than 120 peer-reviewed academic papers and the best-selling introductory text book "Global Optimization Algorithms - Theory and Application", introduced different optimization algorithms and his latest frequency fitness assignment module on Friday 29th 2024. Thomas, who holds a MSc degree in computer science from TU Chemnitz, is now full Professor of Hefei University (China) and became the founding director of the Institute of Applied Optimization. During his talk we had interesting discussions about the intersection of optimiziation, machine learning, and simulation. We also discussed exchange possibilities and future research.

We are proud to share that our colleagues, Daniel Seifert and Mario Henrique Callefi, presented their research at the prestigious ISM 2024, showcasing groundbreaking contributions to advancing technologies and processes in smart manufacturing and logistics. The conference fosters meaningful exchanges and collaborations to address challenges and explore opportunities in Industry 4.0. It provides a platform for innovative ideas, practical applications, and cutting-edge research. We are honored to contribute to this dynamic community and look forward to further bridging the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementations in these critical areas.

Our colleague Mário Callefi is coorganizing a special session for the IAMOT conference 2025 in Montreal, Canada. The track deals with the Supply Chain 4.0 (SC4). Research Network aims to foster collaboration on fundamental and applied research related to Supply Chain Management in the context of the 4th and 5th Industrial Revolutions. The track specifically invites SC4 members to submit papers related to digital supply chains, digital technologies and due diligence in supply chains, digital technologies and sustainability integration in ecosystems, new business models in manufacturing and logistics, analytics and AI in supply chains, supply chain mapping, and sustainable supply chains.

The Scientific Society for Technical Logistics (WGTL e. V.) hosted the 20th Logistics Colloquium in Dresden in September. Our colleague Pierre Grzona presented his scientific work entitled "Analyse der Einflussfaktoren beim Einsatz von BLE basierten Prozessanalyse Werkzeugen in der Intralogistik". The annual event serves to promote the exchange of information and cooperation between science and practice in the field of technical logistics. The Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics supports the WGTL with a membership.

This year, we were able to welcome members of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Member of the Bundestag Maik Außendorf to the annual status workshop of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Chemnitz and give them valuable insights into our center's work. The workshop provided an excellent platform for exciting discussions about the challenges and opportunities of digitization and the use of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized enterprises. A big thank you to all participants for the committed exchange and the great cooperation of our consortium partners!