Secondment Purdue University Fort Wayne

This report outlines the activities carried out during the secondment period at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW), United States, under the SME 5.0 project framework. The secondment was conducted from 2 June to 4 July 2025 and hosted by Prof. David Cochran. The purpose of the secondment was to foster transatlantic collaboration in the fields of enterprise systems, innovation, and learning factory development.
During the secondment, the following key activities were carried out:
• Contributed to a grant proposal for the creation of the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Engineering Nexus (EEE Nexus), a joint initiative of the Doermer School of Business (DSB) and Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW).
• Engaged in collaborative project planning to apply Systems Engineering principles to the structured and sustainable development of interdisciplinary learning environments, aimed at promoting innovation in industry-oriented education.
• Visited the Ford Rouge Factory, the Henry Ford Museum, and the Edison Laboratories in Detroit to gain historical and technological insights into industrial innovation and manufacturing heritage.
• • Visited the School of Engineering Technology (SOET) laboratories at Purdue University West Lafayette to explore best practices in applied research, engineering education, and sustainable laboratory-based learning environments.
• Participated in a session on industry engagement and university-industry ecosystems at Purdue University West Lafayette, with attendees from TU Graz and the University of Potsdam, focusing on sustainable strategies to strengthen academic-industry collaboration across institutions.
The secondment enabled in-depth academic exchange on methodologies for system design and educational infrastructure development. Collaborative discussions and planning sessions with Prof. Cochran, Dean Prof. Nodir Adilov and other faculty members provided a strong foundation for future cooperation. In particular, the integration of Systems Engineering principles into Learning Factory concepts holds great potential for cross-institutional impact.