The Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Karlsruhe has launched the research project “ηNet – Cyber-Physical and Data Managed System” to achieve a sustainable reduction in energy and resource consumption in university laboratories.
Internal analyses, including those conducted at the plastics laboratory at DHBW Karlsruhe, identified significant, previously untapped potential for cost savings due to a lack of transparency and digital control. An interdisciplinary team from the fields of computer science, robotics, and materials engineering is working on the development of this cyber-physical laboratory management system. This includes the creation of digital twins, intelligent energy monitoring, AI-supported planning tools, and modular resource management.
The pilot project in the plastics laboratory aims, in the first instance, to digitally record all components and, in the medium term, to optimize energy and material consumption through smart control systems based on actual needs. In the long term, ηNet is designed as a scalable system intended to serve as the foundation for a nationwide rollout in other university laboratories, with the goal of making them models of sustainable operations.
You can read the full article here.
Source: Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) (September 2025)