Landis+Gyr has a long tradition of collaboration with universities and educational organizations. Around EMEA, various Landis+Gyr sites work with students and researchers on a daily basis, on a variety of projects that support both academic and business objectives. The depth of collaboration varies from providing student placements to strategic, long-term research projects.
A practical example of collaboration can be found in Stockport, one of Landis+Gyr’s biggest production facilities in EMEA, where the majority of gas meters for the European market are manufactured. The local team has been actively building ties with the University of Cambridge Engineering department, by creating industrial placements for Master’s students.
The students work on process optimization projects, where they focus on an identified potential problem and scope it together with a Landis+Gyr mentoring team. The students then implement the improvements they have designed and produce a report and presentation on their results.
In a recent project, based on their findings, a group of students implemented a new Kanban system – a scheduling system for lean manufacturing – within an important part of the production chain. After trialing the system, the positive results were clear to see: a reduction in the work in process, increased normalized output from the calibration rigs and decreased overall lead time for meters. The successful project was a rewarding experience both for the students and for the Landis+Gyr mentoring team.
At its best, these collaborations can provide benefits for students, universities and for the energy industry. Close relationships between universities and the industry prepare the students for their careers, enable academics to communicate the impact of their research in the business world and drive innovations in the industry.
