The purpose of the Chair

  • To assist in the establishment of new research and development trends, opportunities and initiatives within the fields of Energy Systems, Materials and Manufacturing Technology,
  • Facilitating knowledge transfer into teaching and learning concepts and integrate it into undergraduate and post graduate engineering programmes,
  • Furthering international opportunities and co-operation between Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), German Tertiary Institutions and the Automotive Industry. 

Objectives

  • Provide research capacity in the field of new improved component materials and manufacturing  processes and system technology;
  • Identify applications for new technologies in the field of component material and manufacturing technology, for example MEMS sensors from micro-manufacturing technology for automotive application;
  • Provide learning material for formal programmes and knowledge transfer initiatives to industry on new trends arising out of future manufacturing and engineering technologies;
  • Influence and facilitate multi-disciplinary research and development activities into future developments in manufacturing and engineering into undergraduate curricula;
  • Increase international teaching, learning and research co-operation into manufacturing technology for automotive engineering through managing and facilitating exchange programmes and knowledge transfer.

Benefits

  • To improve and increase relevant and level of engineering curriculum;
  • Create additional research and development capacity for automotive industry problem solving, including specifically SME's;
  • Create additional teaching and learning development capacity for the NMMU's newly developed BEng programmes;
  • Increase scope and intensity of International scientific cooperation and collaboration, for example between Lower Saxony and the Eastern Cape;
  • Increased research publication and post-graduate research output, for example up to 20 PhD projects and 40 publications in a 5 year period;
  • Providing industry with a higher level of engineering graduates with improved problem solving skills;
  • Greater awareness of automotive engineering, its importance and challenges within the Eastern Cape.