Pioneer for Innovation and Start-up Success

11. April 2024

The idea for starting your own company is developed. But what comes next? What legal and financial considerations need to be taken into account? Is the business plan realistic? Which market entry strategy is best suited for the company? Through its active, integrated transfer approach, RWTH Innovation GmbH ensures continuous exchange at the interfaces between research, industry, and society. As a subsidiary of RWTH Aachen University and the Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, located on RWTH Aachen Campus in the Smart Logistics Cluster, it promotes and supports researchers and inventors from RWTH Aachen throughout the innovation process. As part of its offerings for startup teams, RWTH Innovation GmbH, situated in the Smart Logistics cluster on the Melaten campus, provides targeted support through tailored formats precisely tailored to the needs required to translate innovative ideas into successful business models.

RWTH Innovation GmbH supports start-ups from initial ideation to market launch. Among them are OSPHIM and Exaia Technologies, which respectively enhance processes in setting up injection molding machines or utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore natural language processing.

Digital Platform for Injection Moulding Machines

OSPHIM

Injection moulding machines produce a large portion of plastic parts such as bottle caps or dowels. The setup process of these machines, which is challenging due to the complex behavior of plastic materials, has been optimized by the startup “OSPHIM” using Artificial Intelligence. In practice, expert knowledge is often relied upon for selecting process settings, while research increasingly focuses on specific data-driven approaches to process optimization. Machine learning methods traditionally require a lot of data and entail significant effort for the user to effectively implement the techniques. Through its digital platform, OSPHIM transfers current research results into user-friendly and expandable applications, supplementing existing expert knowledge in manufacturing with intelligent algorithms.

Machine operators are supported in the setup, optimization, and monitoring of processes by a flexible, modular, and scalable infrastructure linked to AI. The employees of the startup, based at the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH Aachen University on Campus Melaten, have developed a versatile AI infrastructure: Data is captured directly at the machine via a small box and optimized on the associated platform. A “plug & play” solution that saves plastic material and time during the setup process.

In early 2024, OSPHIM was awarded the RWTH Innovation Award – recognizing it as one of the RWTH university projects contributing to the exceptional appeal of the Aachen region as an innovation hub. The project was honored following a two-stage evaluation process based on technology orientation, innovation potential, customer benefit, planned development, commercial potential, and overall impression. RWTH Innovation has been accompanying the startup’s innovation process from the outset. In 2020, the team received funding for the further development of their founding idea as part of the RWTH Innovation Sprint. In 2023, the team successfully applied through RWTH for the EXIST Research Transfer, a funding measure by the Federal Ministry of Economics for advancing research-intensive startup projects. Earlier this year, the GmbH was founded. Currently, the founding team is one of twelve startups participating in the Spring Batch 2024 of the RWTH Incubation Program to drive growth, connect with investors, and acquire new customers.

AI-powered Solutions in Mental Health

Another perspective on Artificial Intelligence is pursued by the start-up Exaia Technologies, which has also been coached as part of the RWTH Incubation Program. In critical areas such as healthcare or finance, the implementation of transparent decision-making systems is not only advantageous but essential to ensure optimal results and minimize potential risks. Exaia Technologies is currently focused on developing trustworthy AI-powered solutions to advance precision medicine, particularly in the field of mental health. The interdisciplinary team, consisting of RWTH alumni from computer linguistics and computer science, is dedicated to developing human-centered and explainable AI solutions for early detection, data-driven monitoring, and assessment of treatment outcomes for neurodegenerative and mental disorders based on digital biomarkers and machine learning. Leveraging over ten years of collaborative multidisciplinary research and expertise, the startup aims to achieve excellence in Artificial Intelligence and natural language processing.

Exaia Technologies

If you want to discuss your business idea with experts or have questions about your market-ready technology, don’t hesitate to reach out to the colleagues at RWTH Innovation GmbH. They are happy to advise and support you.

RWTH Innovation GmbH
Phone: +49 241 80 966 10
E-Mail: info@rwth-innovation.de