Institut für Regelungstechnik der RWTH Aachen University

What Institut für Regelungstechnik der RWTH Aachen University does

The Institut für Regelungstechnik is the automatic control engineering research institute within RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, embedded in the university's Production Engineering Cluster. Its mission is to advance theory and application of control, estimation, and optimization across four research groups: biomedical systems, energy systems, industrial and production systems, and mobility/navigation. The institute serves academic peers, doctoral candidates, and industrial partners seeking advanced control solutions, and contributes to the university's Master of Science in Automation Engineering program.

The institute's technical core lies in model predictive control (MPC), robust and optimal control, estimation, and learning-augmented control methods. Notable outputs include MATMPC, an open-source MATLAB toolbox for real-time MPC, and a sustained publication record spanning robust MPC for PEM fuel cells, force-controlled milling, biomedical exoskeleton and rehabilitation robotics, and autonomous navigation. Application demonstrations include PEM fuel cell control with EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, force-controlled machining in AktivkraftFräsen 2, Arctic underwater vehicle trials, and biomedical collaborations with University Hospital Aachen.

The institute operates as a non-commercial academic unit rather than a revenue-generating business. Its operating budget is funded through public research grants (notably BMBF and DFG), collaborative research projects with industry partners such as EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, Pierburg/Rheinmetall, and FEV Europe, and participation in consortia such as the Hydrogen Cluster4Future. The "business model" is best characterized as a research-grant and consortium-participation model that monetizes expertise via sponsored research, talent pipeline (Master's and doctoral graduates), and open-source software artifacts rather than product sales.

Name

Institut für Regelungstechnik der RWTH Aachen University

Legal name

Institut für Regelungstechnik der RWTH Aachen University

Website

https://irt.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institut für Regelungstechnik is RWTH Aachen University's academic research institute for automatic control engineering, organized into four groups spanning biomedical, energy, industrial, and mobility systems, funded via public grants and industry partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Education in Control Engineering

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Control systems research
• Model predictive control
• Automation engineering education
• Biomedical control systems
• Open-source control software

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institut für Regelungstechnik is a university research institute conducting fundamental and applied research in automatic control systems engineering across biomedical, energy, industrial/production, and mobility/navigation domains. It offers a Master Program in Automation Engineering, lectures and student thesis supervision, and develops open-source software tools including the MATMPC toolbox for real-time nonlinear model predictive control. Research outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, joint industry research projects, and open-source software releases rather than commercial products.

Product overview

The Institute of Automatic Control (IRT) at RWTH Aachen University is an academic research institute focused on control systems engineering. Their portfolio consists of educational offerings (Master's program in Automation Engineering, lectures, student projects) and open-source software tools including the MATMPC real-time nonlinear MPC toolbox. Research is organized into four main groups: Biomedical Systems (developing intelligent controllers for medical devices like ventricular assist devices), Energy Systems (fuel cell control, wind turbine optimization), Industrial Systems and Production Systems, and Mobility and Navigation (autonomous vehicles, maritime navigation). The institute conducts joint research projects with industry partners and other academic institutions, particularly in AI-driven control systems including generative machine learning and model predictive control. They maintain an OpenSource repository and offer professional development through their 'Contributions to Control Systems' lecture series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Program Automation Engineering Master's degree program in Automation Engineering covering control systems, automation technology, and related engineering disciplines, targeted at prospective graduate students.
• MATMPC - MATLAB Based Toolbox for Real-time Nonlinear Model Predictive Control An open-source MATLAB toolbox for real-time nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) with algorithmic modules including automatic differentiation, direct multiple shooting, condensing, linear QP solver, and globalization, targeted at control engineering researchers and students.
• OpenSource Software Repository Repository of open-source software tools and projects developed by the institute, including control systems software and research implementations, available to researchers and the public.
• Beiträge zur Regelungstechnik Lecture Series A regular lecture series where industry and research experts present their work in control engineering research, development, and application, targeted at students, researchers, and industry professionals.
• Student Research Projects and Theses Bachelor theses, master theses, and project work opportunities for students in control engineering and automation technology, supervised by institute researchers.
• Lectures in Control Engineering Course offerings in control engineering covering theoretical foundations, practical applications, and advanced topics in automatic control, delivered as part of the university's academic curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended PEM fuel cell system lifetime with simultaneous efficient and dynamic operation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability15 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• TME - Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Joint research partner in HyInnoPEM project for developing robust model predictive control of PEM fuel cell systems. TME contributes thermodynamic expertise for mobile energy conversion systems.
• EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Industry partner in HyInnoPEM project contributing fuel cell technology expertise and real-world testing capabilities for PEMFC control system development.
• Pierburg GmbH - Rheinmetall AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Industry partner providing automotive systems expertise and validation infrastructure for fuel cell control systems in mobile applications.
• FEV Europe GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Engineering services partner contributing vehicle integration expertise and testing capabilities for fuel cell system validation.
• Hydrogen Cluster4FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Cluster network of 12 projects focused on hydrogen technologies across the entire value chain, part of the BMBF Clusters4Future initiative.
• Bielefeld University - Machine Learning GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Academic partner in LeRntVAD project contributing machine learning expertise for generative models in cardiovascular system simulation.
• University Hospital Aachen - Department of AnesthesiologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Clinical partner providing medical expertise and experimental data for ventricular assist device research and validation.
• ATC - Aldenhoven Testing CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesting facility for automated and connected mobility research, providing infrastructure for vehicle testing and validation.
• CWD - Center for Wind Power DrivesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center focused on wind power drive systems, collaborating on wind turbine control and optimization projects.
• Future Mobility CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWTH center for future mobility research, coordinating interdisciplinary mobility and transport engineering initiatives.
• AFR - Aachener Forschungsgesellschaft Regelungstechnik e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation supporting the Beiträge zur Regelungstechnik lecture series and promoting control engineering research in the Aachen region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Stuttgart - Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control: German university institute specializing in control theory and automation with research overlap in production systems, mobility, and classical/learning-based control methods.
• ETH Zurich - Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control: Top European university institute for control engineering; conducts comparable research in model predictive control, autonomous systems, and control theory with strong industry partnerships.
• Technical University of Munich - Institute of Automatic Control: Leading German university institute for automatic control research at TU Munich; direct counterpart to IRT with overlapping research in model predictive control, robotics, and automotive control applications.

Others

• Bosch Research - Control and Automation: Industry R&D organization that partners with German academic institutes on fuel cell control, automated driving, and production automation; comparable applied-control research scope.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer IOSB - Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation: Large Fraunhofer applied-research institute with work in automation, control, and autonomous systems; complementary applied-control capability beyond the academic positioning of IRT.
• Siemens Technology - Control and Automation Research: Industrial R&D leader in industrial automation, control systems, and digitalization that engages in joint research with institutes like IRT for production-systems control and digital twins.

Regional players

• DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics: German public research center with strong programs in model-predictive and learning-based control for robotic and mechatronic systems, including autonomous underwater and mobility platforms tested by IRT.
• Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems: German academic research institute studying dynamics and control of complex technical systems, with overlapping process-control and systems-engineering themes relative to IRT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IRTaachen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-f%C3%BCr-regelungstechnik--rwth-aachen
• Instagraminstagram.com/irt_rwth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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