Hackathon – Hardwood and process optimization of regional value chains in timber construction

Target groups and previous knowledge

The hackathon is open to all interested parties and is also offered as a course for students of the University of Stuttgart. (For students of the Uni Stuttgart the registration in Campus is already closed).

Previous knowledge of coding or wood construction is not required, much more curiosity and interest are needed and the willingness to work in interdisciplinary teams and get involved with the topic.

 

Info

Date: May 23 – 25, 2023

Language: German / English

Registration: required via eventbrite

Venues:

23.05.2023: frei[raum], Pfaffenwaldring 45, 70569 Stuttgart

24.05.2025: Meeting Point at Bus Stop "Universität (Schleife)"

25.05.2023: Code_N, Schelmenwasenstraße 32, 70567 Stuttgart

Please note: We are recording and publishing the event in audio and video for documentation, reporting and evaluation purposes, including on websites and social media. If you do not agree with this use, please contact us

Contact: digitize-wood@intcdc.uni-stuttgart.de

 

Program

Tuesday, 23.05.2023, (frei[raum])

09:00 Welcome

09:30 Introduction Startup Institut ENI / digitize wood

Prof. Dr. Alexander Brem, Moritz Mahlke

09:45 Introduction of Holzbau-Offensive BW, Barbara Pfister

10:00 Outline process and challenges, Prof. Dr. Alexander Brem

10:45 Lunch Break

11:00 Content presentation of the timber construction companies and mentors, Moritz Mahlke

11:45 Greetings from Minister Peter Hauk MdL(Live switch)

12:00 End of the first day

 

Wednesday, 24.05.2023, (Bus Stop Universität (Schleife))

08:00 Start of the Bus trip

08:30 Forest impulses, Siegfried Nägele, ForstBW

09:30 Visit Holzwerk Keck

11:00 Continue journey to Holzbauwerk Schwarzwald

Lunch Break

13:00 Visit HolzBauWerk Schwarzwald

15:00 Visit Holzbau Schaible

17:30 Arrival at Hacking Location, Code:N

18:00 Ideation, Concretisation of the problem areas

• Team building with task reference

19:00 First Hacking Session

• Support through online and offline mentoring

23:00 End of the first hacking round

 

Thursday, 25.05.2023, (Code_N)

09:00 Creative Methods, Design Thinking

10:00 Final hacking session supported by mentors

Lunch Break

14:00 Preparation for pitching

15:00 Pitch-Presentation

16:00 Jury voting and award ceremony

16:30 Get Together und Finale

18:00 End of Event

Registration

Timber construction

It is obvious that the construction industry must also become more climate-friendly: it is currently responsible for about 40% of global resource consumption, 40% of energy consumption and 50% of waste. An ecological alternative to the conventional steel-concrete buildings we use is timber construction. This is because wood is renewable and binds CO2 as it grows, which is stored in the stem – even when the wood is used as beams in a house, for example. In addition, it is regionally available and can be recycled.

 

Hardwood

In recent decades, spruce trees have been the main species grown for economic use in the forest, as they grow quickly and their wood has excellent properties for timber construction. The entire value chain in timber construction has therefore been geared towards the processing of softwood.

However, as a result of climate change, spruce stands in Germany are suffering major damage. Heat, drought and pest infestation are causing the trees to die, calling for what is known as forest conversion. This means that in the future, many different tree species will have to be planted in order to increase biodiversity and thus make the forest more resilient.

In the future, this will mean that fewer softwoods and more hardwoods will be usable for the timber construction industry. However, since hardwoods and softwoods differ greatly in some respects, the value chain as a whole needs to be reconsidered and adjusted. For example, hardwoods cannot easily be sawn with the same saw as softwoods because they are much harder. Transportation and logistics of different woods also need to be organized.

Therefore, for the hackathon, these are some of the questions that arise:

- What are the differences between hardwoods and softwoods and what are the impacts at which point in the value chain?

- Which effects represent a problem and can be dealt with within the hackathon through a solution concept?

 

Process optimization in timber construction

Robotics and automation offer great potential in timber construction to make building more efficient and to meet the need for 400,000 missing apartments per year in Germany alone, while also making up for the shortage of skilled workers. However, the introduction of new technologies also poses a number of problems: In Baden-Württemberg, there is the peculiarity that woodworking companies have an average size of ten people. This means that the investment and training costs of automation are usually too high for them.

For the hackathon, therefore, these questions arise, among others:

- How can small businesses benefit from robotics and automation?

- Are there opportunities to network with each other, to pool resources?

- How can data exchange be organized?

Registration

Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science (ENI)

The institute promotes entrepreneurship in research and teaching with a cross-faculty approach that brings together theory and practice. This includes, among other things, the interdisciplinary connection between technology, science and management as well as the cooperation with internal and external partners, e.g. Technology Transfer Initiative, ARENA2036, STARTUP-AUTOBAHN, Cyber Valley, Gründermotor, quer.kraft e.V., etc. The institute is a member of the Faculty 10 for Economics and Social Sciences, as well as a co-opted member of the Faculty 7 for Mechanical Engineering.

 

Registration