Strategic Partnership First U.S. University League Meets Top Technology from Eplan and Rittal

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Rittal and Eplan have announced a comprehensive strategic partnership with the prestigious Purdue University (USA). The five-year collaboration focuses on the Purdue Polytechnic Institute and was officially sealed at the Rockwell Automation Fair in Chicago in November.

Purdue University in West Lafayette, one of the leading U.S. universities in STEM fields, will open two exclusive labs on its campus: an "Eplan Engineering Lab" and a "Rittal Automation Systems Lab," where students can conduct studies and gain practical experience in data-driven processes in plant engineering, such as wire processing and wiring. The collaboration provides students and faculty with access to an integrated ecosystem of hardware and software that represents the cutting edge of the automation and manufacturing industry.

The comprehensive partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships, and joint research and development initiatives. It can be extended to the entire Purdue Polytechnic High School network. The collaboration includes a substantial number of Eplan software licenses for students as well as additional investments from Rittal and Eplan.

"The Purdue Polytechnic has always aimed to prepare new generations for technology-driven industries, and this partnership is the perfect embodiment of this mission," says Dr. Daniel Castro, Dean of Purdue Polytechnic. "By integrating world-class solutions from Rittal and Eplan into our curriculum, we go beyond theory. Students develop the practical skills and technological expertise they need to take on a pioneering role."

Collaboration Between Industry, Science, And Education

The partnership is beneficial for all parties. It provides direct access to qualified professionals for the industry and offers students an in-depth insight into technologies used by leading companies worldwide. Purdue University students gain practical experience with the Eplan platform in combination with seamless data-driven automation solutions and system engineering from Rittal.

For Rittal and Eplan, the partnership represents a significant investment in the future of American industrial education and an opportunity for beneficial collaboration with top-tier research. As part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, the companies have a long tradition of working with academia and education in Europe and are excited to expand this model to the United States.

"The longstanding tradition of Purdue Polytechnic to prepare its students for an immediate impact as technology drivers in the industry makes them the perfect partner," says Sebastian Seitz, CEO of Eplan. "Through collaboration with leading companies in the industry, Purdue will further enhance its excellent reputation, while Rittal and Eplan look forward to valuable insights from cutting-edge research. Purdue students will be the engineers bringing forward-thinking concepts to the U.S. economy and using their knowledge to drive the next wave of industrial innovations."

Understanding Automation is Key to Growth

"The U.S. economy has great growth opportunities," Seitz explains further. "A profound understanding of digitally driven automation with high-quality data is the key to unlocking this growth, especially in times of skilled labor shortages. Domain knowledge forms the basis for the next level: real value creation with industrial AI. This partnership lays the foundation for that."

The partnership is already creating opportunities for students. Purdue students developed a capstone project that was showcased last fall in the innovation section of the Rockwell Automation Fair. Rittal and Eplan sponsored the project and also invited more than 100 Purdue students to the internationally significant event to provide them with networking opportunities with industry leaders. To further strengthen the collaboration, executives from Rittal and Eplan are joining the advisory board of the Dean's Office at Purdue Polytechnic.

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