A new international research network

On October 11-13, 2021. a seminar, initiating the creation of an international cooperation network of university laboratories dedicated to research and development of leading technologies for the Industry 4.0 concept, was organized by the Faculty of Management and Computer Modeling. The initiator of the network called Smart Production Lab Network is dr inż. Sławomir Luściński, the head of the Intelligent Production Systems Modeling Laboratory at the Science and Implementation Center of the Kielce University of Technology CENWIS.
Representatives of six technical universities from Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine and the project strategic partners: Festo Sp. z o.o. and InterMarium Sp. z o.o. participated in the open session that took place in the Main Lecture Hall of Kielce University of Technology on the 11th October.
The seminar was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Computer Modeling, Prof Dariusz Bojczuk. Then Prof Marek Iwański, the Vice Rector for Research and Cooperation with Entrepreneurs, welcomed the participants in the name of the KUT Rector and presented the research potential of the laboratories of the Scientific and Implementation Center of the Kielce University of Technology CENWIS.

Mr Artur Aleksiejczuk, the director of Festo Sp. z o.o. presented the concept of digital transformation taking into account the industrial perspective. Mr Krystian Kogut, the Director of InterMarium Sp. z o.o. presented the role and importance of computer modeling and simulations for the concept of Industry 4.0. During the presentation, examples of simulation models implemented for the industry using the FlexSim® software were demonstrated. Dr inż. Sławomir Luściński presented the concept of a newly created cooperation network called Smart Production Lab Network, the aim of which is to achieve synergy in research and development of leading technologies of the Industry 4.0 concept, both internally and internationally. The aim of the initiated network by dr inż.Sławomir Luściński is expressed in the slogan: Experience the fur of industry today!
The second part of the session was dedicated to the presentation of the potential and achievements of the scientific and research Industry 4.0 laboratories existing in the partner universities: the University of Aalborg (Denmark), Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), Lutsk National Technical University (Ukraine), University of Sumy (Ukraine), Odessa Polytechnic University (Ukraine), Poznań University of Technology. The universities representatives talked about the development and possibilities of establishing cooperation in order to implement joint research ventures, including the use of research grants and co-financing at the European level.
On the second day of the seminar (October 12, 2021), participants visited some of the research laboratories of the Kielce University of Technology located in the CENWIS Scientific and Implementation Center, and at the Faculty of Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering and the Laser Technology Centre. The meetings at the laboratories made it possible to get acquainted with the research infrastructure and achievements of the University of Technology, and to establish direct contacts between researchers.
On the third day of the seminar (October 13, 2021), participants took part in demonstrations and presentations of development and research plans of the Laboratory for Modeling Intelligent Production Systems at CENWIS.

Both the initiative to establish the network and the seminar itself were very well received by the all participants and generated great interest and commitment. The universities representatives declared that the willingness to undertake joint research and implementation projects, which came up as the result of the knowledge and experiences exchange during the meetings.

The seminar was attended by the representatives of partner universities:

• Prof. Ole Madsen, University of Aalborg, Denmark
• Prof. Józef Zając, Dean of the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies based in Prešov, Technical University in Košice, Slovakia
• Prof. dr Ján Piteľ, Vice-Dean for Development and External Relations, Faculty of Manufacturing Technology based in Prešov, Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
• Dr Jozef Husár, Department of Industrial Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Manufacturing Technology based in Prešov, Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
• Dr Mykola Melnychuk, Lutsk National Technical University, Ukraine
• Prof. Volodymyr Tonkonogyi, Odessa National Polytechnic University, Ukraine
• Dr inż. Justyna Trojanowska, Vice-Dean for Cooperation with the Economy, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Management, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
• Professor Vitalii Ivanov, Vice-Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Saving Technologies, Director of the Center for Research and Development of Industrial Engineering, Sumy State University, Ukraine
• Professor Ivan Pavlenko, Vice-Dean for Science, Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Saving Technologies, Sumy State University, Ukraine
• Dr. Yuliia Denysenko, Sumy State University, Ukraine

The representatives of Sumy State University participated in the seminar within the Erasmus+ programme (exchange mobilities with partner countries KA-107).

The invited representatives of Kielce University of Technology:

• Prof. Włodzimierz Makieła, Vice-Rector for Science and Development
• Prof. Roman Deniziak, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control and Computer Science,
• Prof. Jakub Takosoglu, Dean of the Faculty of Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering,
• Prof. Norbert Radek, Director of the Center for Laser Metal Technologies
• Prof. Artur Bartosik, Head of the Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Management and Computer Modeling
• Anna Kasztelewicz, Head of the Staff Development and International Cooperation Department
• dr inż. Robert Kazała, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics and Computer Science, Head of the Laboratory of Automation Components and Systems,
• dr inż. Piotr Sęk, Department of Exploitation Engineering and Industrial Laser Systems, Faculty of Mechatronics and Machine Design