Start of a New Conference Series at Fraunhofer ITWM

KLAIM – Kaiserslautern Applied and Industrial Mathematics Days

Press Release / October 14, 2021

The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM experienced three days of intensive exchange: More than sixty international scientists accepted the invitation of the two organizers Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, Director of Fraunhofer ITWM, and Prof. Dr. Bernd Simeon from the Department of Mathematics at TU Kaiserslautern. The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for applied mathematicians from universities, research laboratories, and industry to exchange ideas and present the latest research results.

But the goal is also to firmly anchor the conference in the scientific community, as it is to be held every two years. The focus of this first edition of KLAIM was on the role of applied mathematics in the development of digital twins. This was highlighted in forty short talks and extensive discussion sessions. Accompanying the conference is a conference volume with the abstracts of the talks.

© Sven O. Krumke
Opening of the event Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel in the lecture hall of the Fraunhofer ITWM.

»Many Inspiring and Impactful Applications of Mathematics«

We asked three of the keynote speakers why they came to Kaiserslautern and what they expect from KLAIM:

»Since I started my mathematical life with my undergraduate studies in Kaiserslautern, I am especially pleased to be present at the KLAIM conference 2021 on site in Kaiserslautern. I look back on a long cooperation with Fraunhofer ITWM, especially on joint projects with industrial partners. New challenges arising from these projects have always driven my own research. This is especially true for the development of numerical multiscale methods and methods for model order reduction.

The good cooperation with Fraunhofer ITWM is also a cornerstone for the alliance of our “Cluster of Excellence Mathematics Münster” with the High Performance Center Simulation- and Software-based Innovation. Fraunhofer ITWM plays a central role here for the transfer of results from basic research to industry.«
Prof. Dr. Mario Ohlberger (University of Münster, Professorship for Applied Mathematics, Focus on Numerics)

© Sven O. Krumke
Prof. Dr. Mario Ohlberger (University of Münster, Professorship for Applied Mathematics, Focus on Numerics).

»Industrial mathematics is often about giving mathematical answers to questions that are not formulated in the language of mathematics. Here at ITWM we learn how to do it. In my talk, I turn an engineering practise into a mathematical theory and I look forward to discussing its impact with colleagues.«
Prof. Dr. Annalisa Buffa, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

»I like this conference, since it presents innovative mathematics that is relevant for industry and society. Moreover, during this conference many inspiring and impactful applications of mathematics are shown. Among them are several applications that significantly contributed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. One example is that mathematical optimization is used by the World Food Programme, and as a result millions more people can be fed.«
Prof. Dr. Dick den Hertog, Faculty of Economics and Business, Section Operations Management, Amsterdam