New professorships strengthen the IMA/ZLW & IfU: "Communication and Organizational Development in Socio-Technical Systems" by apl.-Prof. Dr. phil. Ingrid Isenhardt with an additional seat at the Faculty of Philosophy and two junior professorships "Interoperability of Simulations" by Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Schilberg and "Agile Management in Technology-Oriented Organizations" by Jun.-Prof. Dr. phil. Anja Richert.

The IMA/ZLW & IfU is growing and re-organized with a consistent professional orientation and post-doc strategy. To this end, research groups structures, as well as research group leaders and managing directors are set up for the institutes.

Dr. rer. nat. Frank Hees becomes second deputy director of the IMA/ZLW & IfU and the robotics student laboratories come into existence.

Univ.Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sabina Jeschke is appointed to the chair of "Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (IMA)" and takes over as head of institute after the retirement of Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Henning, now as IMA/ZLW & IfU. The interdisciplinary research methodology is further strengthened and robotics, automation technology and distributed artificial intelligence form new research priorities.

As part of the DFG Excellence Initiative, the ZLW/IMA is developing new research perspectives on fully autonomous technical systems and production technology.

The HDZ receives a name more appropriate to the variety and breadth of its research activities: Center for Learning and Knowledge Management (ZLW). The HDZ/IMA becomes the ZLW/IMA with new fields of application in innovation and prevention research.

The social scientist Dr. phil. Ingrid Isenhardt becomes deputy institute director. The field of modern work designs continues to develop with the concept of "knowledge management".

Univ. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Henning takes over the management of the Associated Institute for Manangement Cybernetics e.V. (IfU), which has just been relocated to the Technology Center. Communication and organizational development models with an emphasis on SMEs are becoming a central topic of investigation.

With his appointment to the chair "Computer Science in Mechanical Engineering (IMA)", Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Henning combines his teaching areas in the HDZ/IMA. The institute moves to the Technology Center at Europaplatz and contributes significantly to establishing interdisciplinary research approaches in the RWTH. The focus is on the system-oriented and socially responsible design of human-machine interactions and software development processes.

Within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Henning integrates his teaching area "Cybernetic Methods and Didactics of Engineering" into the HDZ as leader of the new institute. Under the increasing influence of cybernetics as a methodology, first approaches of interdisciplinary research emerge.

At the RWTH Aachen University, the Center for Teacher Education (Hochschuldidaktisches Zentrum, HDZ), is founded with the participation of Dr. med. Dietrich Brandt and Dr.-Ing. Robert Sell. Its goal is the development of innovative teaching and learning concepts for engineering studies. In addition, the institute is yet addressing questions of the humanization of an increasingly automated work environment.