From the Sector

Dongshin University from Naju in South Korea and Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University will cooperate in the field of industrial digitalisation and renewable energies in the future. A cooperation agreement was signed on 9 July by Professor Dr Chun-Shik kim and Professor Dr Thomas Gries. Professor Dr Chun-Shik Kim is an expert on German-Korean economic cooperation, ADEKO board member and former advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Dr Thomas Gries is ITA Director and Rectorate Representative of RWTH Aachen University for Korea. The co-operation marks the culmination of 15 years of ITA activities in Korea. The fruits of this cooperation are the SmartTextronics Centre and the city partnership between the cities of Aachen and Ansan.

Dongshin University in Naju, South Korea, is a renowned university specialising in innovative research and practice-oriented education. It specialises in engineering, information and communication technology and renewable energies. The university is known for its international co-operation and its contribution to regional and global development.

RWTH Aachen University is one of the leading technical universities in Europe and offers excellent research and teaching opportunities. Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is one of the largest institutes at RWTH Aachen University and is internationally recognised for its outstanding research achievements in the field of textile technology and for its industrial cooperation. RWTH Aachen University maintains close co-operation with international partners and promotes global networking in science and research.

On 27 November 2021, the Scientific Award for International Sustainable Aviation and Energy Society (SARES Award) was awarded to Professor Dr Thomas Gries from the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University. The award ceremony took place during the closing ceremony of the International Symposium on Sustainable Aviation (ISSA) in a hybrid format online and simultaneously at Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
 
With the award, the committee recognised the ongoing contribution of Pro-fessor Gries and the Institut für Textiltechnik to the digitisation and bio-transformation of the textile sector, as well as the Institute as a place of innovation for sustainable aviation.

Examples of this include the development of 3D braided ceramic matrix composite components for aircraft engines, which were researched together with partners in a Horizon 2020 project (EU project AllOxITD). The ongoing Chrysomallos research project as another example, funded under the national aeronautics research programme in Germany, aims to develop a completely new and sustainable high-performance insulator for aircraft cabins based on aerogels. These have a significantly lower weight than the glass fibre mats used up to now, while providing the same insulation performance, and solve the problem of the previously high manufacturing costs of aerogels. The aim of the project is to develop an insulation material with reduced density (reduction of more than 20 percent). To this end, a new type of insulation material based on aerogel is to be developed. The basis is an aerogel fleece (0.06 W/mK at 28 kg/m³), which has already been developed as part of a dissertation at the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (Mroszczok, J.: 2019).

The aviation industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Due to this fact and its importance for society and the global economy, it needs to make special efforts towards sustainability. The ISSA, an international multi-disciplinary symposium, aims to address current issues in aviation such as improving aircraft fuel efficiency, promoting the use of biofuels, minimising environmental impact, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing engine and aircraft noise. ^

Through the award, SARES honours scientists and researchers whose work on sustainable aviation issues has made an important contribution at the international level. The selection is based on the scientific publications of the applicant or nominee, the h-index, i.e. the key figure for the worldwide perception of a scientist in professional circles, the project topics and the project results.