Maximilian Kuhn and Jan Koch studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. They gathered practical experience during internships e.g. in the automotive industry as well as during their time as student assistants at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), an institute of RWTH Aachen University. Following their master degrees, Mr. Koch and Mr. Kuhn began their work as research associates in the department of innovation management at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University in 2015 and 2017. Since then, their research and consulting activities are focused on projects regarding the efficiency and effectiveness enhancement of product development. Furthermore, he has been focusing on projects with respect to the development of modular product platforms and variant management in the context of complexity management. The activity profiles of Mr Koch and Mr Kuhn include both consulting as well as research projects in the fields of innovation and complexity management. A special focus is on the topics of modular product platform design, the opportunities and effects of impacts of “Industrie 4.0” in R&D, the operative variant management as well as complexity cost calculation and reduction.

The department innovation management at the laboratory for machine tools and production engineering focusses the implementation of Industrie 4.0 in R&D in close collaboration with the manufacturing industry. Next to the optimization of products constant improvement of processes are objective to research and projects.