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Stuttgart, July 17, 2020 - At this year's annual meeting of the Automotive Solution Center for Simulation e.V., the focus was not only on the elections to the Executive Board but also on an extension of the articles of association. ENVITED is the first research cluster to be introduced with its four pillars Innovation Hub, Data Market, Ecosystem and Career Channel.

The 12th ordinary general meeting of the Automotive Solution Center for Simulation e.V. - asc(s) took place on July 7, 2020. For the first time the annual general meeting was held purely virtually. Alexander F. Walser, Managing Director of asc(s) informed about developments in the past year and upcoming activities. A positive aspect is the expansion of the network's competences by gaining new members. More and more companies and research institutions see a growing need for pre-competitive exchange in the field of virtual vehicle development. The asc(s offers a unique platform to discuss research topics at eye level and to advance them jointly.

In order to support the Executive Board in the design of the five focus areas (Vehicle Powertrain, Vehicle Structure, Vehicle Physics, Vehicle Automation & Connectivity and Numerics & Digitization) and to strengthen the involvement of the members in the technical development of the network activities, a Mentor Board has been established. In the future, each of the five focus areas is to be advised by one industrial and one scientific representative. First mentors are Carlo van Driesten, BMW (focus area vehicle automation and connectivity), Sasha Ott, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT (focus area vehicle drive), Dr. Stefan Suwelack, KIT (focus area numerics & digitization) as well as Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fabian Duddeck, Technical University Munich (focus area vehicle structure). In the coming months, the Mentor Board is to be completed and will then meet twice a year to discuss the topic with the Executive Board.

The latter was newly elected at this year's annual meeting for a two-year term of office. Prof. Dr. Michael M. Resch from the High Performance Computing Centre at the University of Stuttgart did not stand for re-election. "asc(s has developed well in recent years and is now an established Solution Center. I would like to thank my colleagues on the board, the asc(s team and the members for their trustworthy cooperation and will now devote myself to new tasks and the establishment of new Solution Centers," said Prof. Resch in his introductory remarks to the members. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Remlinger was elected as the new representative for the University of Stuttgart. He was previously represented in his function at AUDI AG on the Executive Board of asc(s and has been Head of Interior Design Engineering, Institute for Construction Technology and Technical Design at the University of Stuttgart since July 2020. Jürgen Kohler from Mercedes Benz AG and Nurcan Rasig from HPE Deutschland GmbH were also confirmed as members of the Executive Board. Lutz Morich from AUDI AG was newly elected to the Executive Board. All members of the Executive Board were elected unanimously. Hans-Dieter Grein from NEC Deutschland GmbH was confirmed as cash auditor.

The new asc(s executive board

In addition to the elections for the Executive Board and the cash auditor, the members voted for the inclusion of so-called research clusters in the articles of association. These represent a new element of cooperation for the members in order to promote scientific and technical questions on specific future topics of virtual vehicle development even more efficiently within the framework of the association's purposes. For this purpose, subgroups of members can now form a research cluster. The extension of the statutes regulates the initiation, structure and implementation as well as the dissolution of the research clusters. The motivation and objectives of the respective research clusters are set out in a cluster description.

After this extension of the statutes was adopted without any dissenting votes, the members voted in favour of the introduction of the first research cluster ENVITED. The overall objective of the research cluster ENVITED is to accelerate research and the use of the latest simulation technologies for the virtual development of highly automated vehicles and connected mobility concepts. This includes all computer-aided development processes and research approaches for virtual function design, validation, homologation and demonstration of system components up to complete systems. In order to accelerate the technology transfer between To strengthen science and industry, the ENVITED research cluster sees a need for action in the following four pillars:

ENVITED Innovation Hub: In the Innovation Hub, cluster members discuss current and future challenges and requirements with regard to new simulation methods, environments, processes and standards. In working groups, new research and standardization approaches are to be evaluated and advanced to concrete joint research projects.

ENVITED Data Market1: The Data Market has the superordinate task of making (standardised) data for research purposes central, processed and easily accessible to the cluster members in a sustainable manner. The data includes simulation models and environments, training data for artificial intelligence or benchmark models and results. In addition, processes and approaches are to be researched and developed here, as to how meta-data, data extraction, quality assurance measures and certification methods can be used to add more value for the end user. On the one hand, this forms an improved basis for further research projects. On the other hand, it strengthens the penetration and acceptance of simulation methods in the virtual development process.

ENVITED Ecosystem: The full potential of simulation can only be realised if reliable and comprehensible simulation methods and processes exist that enable a virtual acceptance of highly automated vehicle functions. This must be done in a diverse ecosystem across different company boundaries. With the ENVITED Ecosystem, methods for machine-supported continuous proof via the validation of automated driving functions are to be researched and advanced.

ENVITED Career Channel: The increasing digitalisation in the development process and the use of the latest simulation technologies show a clear need for training and further education concepts. In the next 10-15 years, simulation methods will become an essential part of the daily work of a development engineer. Especially due to the dynamic development of newer and newer methods and processes, established teaching contents can no longer cover the demand for education and training. Here it is necessary to ensure short-term access to new training and further education measures based on the latest and future developments. To this end, future requirements and needs are to be derived from the expert knowledge of the cluster members and the permeability of young experts between science and industry is to be strengthened.

"With the research cluster ENVITED, we are opening up a unique cooperation platform for our members to research and promote virtual development methods on the way to autonomous driving and make them accessible as a key technology", says asc(s managing director Alexander F. Walser. "There is an enormous development potential for our network. Nevertheless, we must not neglect the "classic" CAE methods, because only in the totality of all virtual methods can we exploit the full potential of numerical simulation".

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