Following intensive preparation, in November the Baden-Württemberg aerospace forum LR BW and Steinbeis University Berlin founded the German Aerospace Academy (ASA). The aim of the academy, which is based in Böblingen/Sindelfingen just to the south of Stuttgart, is to promote knowledge and technology transfer and boost innovation. Training will be closely dovetailed with practice to prepare students ideally for their later roles in industry. Collaborations are planned with schools and other educational institutions to establish a strong foundation for safeguarding the next generation of specialists. The academy will also provide services to companies. In its role as a flagship of continuous professional development, the German Aerospace Academy will focus on a multi-track model covering the fields aerospace and management.
“By appointing Professor Auweter-Kurtz as head of the academy, we’ve brought on board an aerospace expert with international recognition and experience,” states Dr. Rolf- Jürgen Ahlers, chairman of the LR BW forum. “This represents another milestone both for the domestic aerospace industry and for the Steinbeis Foundation’s collaboration with the LR BW forum,” underscores Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Johann Löhn, Steinbeis University President.
Steinbeis University Berlin has years of experience in the development of technologybased, extra-occupational degree programs, as well as certification courses for specialists. By offering topics that span different sectors, the academy also provides benefit to other branches of industry, such as the automotive sector, engineering, information and communication technology, and photonics. This approach appeals to a broad circle of customers.
The academy’s aim is to pool competences, promote innovative ways of working and, in particular, help counteract the acute shortage of upcoming aerospace specialists. Close collaboration is planned with the University of Stuttgart and other higher education institutions. Practice-oriented studies aim to provide students with the ideal preparation for a subsequent career within companies. Development programs for professionals will promote rapid adoption and the practical implementation of emerging areas of innovation in businesses.
The envisaged partnerships with schools, other educational establishments and companies will create wide-reaching options for attracting talented young people, and will also offer professionals the opportunity to gain more qualifications. Prospective partners include the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen, the DLR_School_Lab in Lampoldshausen and the Einstein laboratory in Sindelfingen.
The academy will make a significant contribution to the future competitiveness of the local area, the wider region and the state of Baden-Württemberg. The project partners intend the ASA to become part and parcel of a broad, practice-oriented network linking the Steinbeis Foundation and businesses. Support will be attracted through involvement in appropriate programs on a national and state level. There are also plans to involve as many professionals as possible in specific fields and projects at the academy. The district authority, the Böblingen district savings bank (Kreissparkasse) and the Vereinigte Volksbank have already said they will back the academy, and talks are also underway with other potential clients and sponsors.
German Aerospace Academy (ASA) (Böblingen)
m.auweter-kurtz@german-asa.de