Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT

GRANITE

German Research Ambassadors Network for Industrial Technology Endeavors

Today’s most relevant question in the context of the digitalization in industry is: "How can companies benefit from the chances that digitalization offers and widely increase their success?" GRANITE offers answers to this question by exploring current challenges and concerns that companies in Japan and Germany face today.


The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launches its research marketing campaign "The Future of Work" targeting Japan, France and the USA. Germany and Japan will actively collaborate on the GRANITE project from June 2019 to November 2020. GRANITE is one of ten funded projects in total and based on a joint initiative of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT and the Japan expertise of Lyogroup International.

Through the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan, a free-trade agreement was established. In addition, a clear signal against protectionism was revealed and an important measure to expand international collaboration was set in motion. Fraunhofer FIT actively contributes in this context by consequently shaping and exploring research and industry networks.

Project Goals

GRANITE aims to initiate active dialogue between companies, research institutes, as well as local administration and governments in Japan and Germany. Establishing an innovative and sustainable network for applied research and technology facilitates a joint effort for mutual exchange and knowledge transfer. To achieve these goals, GRANITE adopts to local Japanese structures and strategies.

Activities

GRANITE offers dialogue and networking at fairs, seminars and workshops, as well as company visits. Within the next 18 months, we plan to facilitate:

  • three visits to Japan in autumn 2019, spring 2020 and autumn 2020
  • six networking and knowledge transfer events in Germany inviting Japanese and German stakeholders
  • one sustainable research ambassadors’ network founded and extended by four German and two Japanese project partners together with ten associated parties