Opportunities in the Marie Curie program
– A Testimony from LMS International
Stijn Donders & Herman Van der Auweraer – LMS International
Nov. 6, 2009 - Marie Curie day “Beurzen voor internationale mobiliteit”
LMS, more than 25 years of engineering innovation
Leading Solutions provider for the Mechanical and
Mechatronic Product Industries
 Spin-off K.U.Leuven – PMA, 1980
 Software and engineering company developing Testing and
Simulation Systems and services
 For realizing critical product performances: comfort, safety,
life time, efficiency, emissions…
 Sustained growth based on transforming technological
leadership into customer innovation
 Highly qualified people, +850 professionals, +30 locations,
 World market Europe: 39%, Asia: 39%, Americas: 22%
 Large commitment to innovation: >20% of budget in R&D
 Well rooted in the innovation landscape: RTD programs,
industrial technology partners, large university network
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LMS participation to the Marie Curie Program
 Participation to Researcher Mobility programs since 1992: FWP 3-4-5-6-7
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Focus on Training through Research (and not on Research as such)
 TMR - Training and Mobility of Researchers, Human Capital and Mobility…
 FP6: RTN (4, 1 as Coordinator), EST (1), EIF (1), IAP (1)
 FP7 People Program: ITN (2)
 Why?
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Extra researcher staff to support upfront Technology Roadmap
 Cross-fertilization from partner research activities and know-how
(academic, complementary technology, end-user partners)
 Access to training and validation opportunities
 Expand research network, nurture and create long-lasting partnerships
 What we offer as partner
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Challenging and relevant research topics
Embedded in industrial applications, incl. top-level infrastructure & facilities
Complementary skills training & guidance to prepare fellows for future careers
International environment with structured coaching and training support
Large partner & contacts network
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LMS Recruitment and Networking Strategy
 Recruitment is the #1 success factor for Marie Curie (MC) projects
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Advertising through official channels is just a first step
 More important is to build long-term international networks with industry and academia
• Recruit candidate stagiairs…. for future Marie Curie fellow positions
• Promote exchanges of fellows in mixed industrial-academic R&D trajectories
• Stimulate LMS R&D fellows to pursue an academic PhD (e.g. at KUL)
 The long-term networks with industry, academia and fellows allow to:
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Identify the common R&D goals in view of future product definitions and future
academic research topics  establish a shared research agenda with key institutes
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Identify new MC candidates, endorsed by known professors
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Recruit former MC fellows into LMS staff positions
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Include former MC fellows at their new employer in the collaboration network
 On the next slides, examples will be given for LMS/KULeuven projects and fellows.
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Stijn Donders – “VIPROM”:
Virtual Prototyping of Vibro-Acoustic Systems in the Mid-Frequency Range
 Project: Growth IHF “VIPROM” (Dec 2000 – Dec 2004)
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Marie Curie Industry Single Host Fellowship
 3 fellows, 52 person months
 Research Topics: Mid-Frequency Vibro-Acoustics
 Advanced acoustic methods
 Uncertainty & Variability
 Substructuring
 Stijn Donders (from The Netherlands)
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M.Sc. in Applied Physics at the University of Twente (NL), 2002
“VIPROM” Marie Curie fellow at LMS (Oct ’02 – Sept ‘04):.
Enrolled in K.U.Leuven PhD program while at LMS; PhD in 2008 on
“CAE Methodologies for Robust Automotive NVH Design”
Stayed with LMS CAE as Research Engineer for Structures & NVH
LMS Responsible for Marie Curie RTN “MADUSE” (see next slides)
Active within EARPA (TF Modeling & Simulation, Marie Curie, …)
>50 conference papers, >10 journal papers, 1 patent
Currently R&D Project Manager at LMS Simulation Division
(Co-)author of FP7 MC ITN “VECOM” (see further)
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Roberto d’Ippolito – “MADUSE”:
Modelling Product Variability and Data Uncertainty in Structural Dynamics Engineering
 Project: FP6 RTN “MADUSE” (April 2004 – March 2008),
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Research Training Network (RTN) with 9 partners
 K.U.Leuven (coord), 5 more universities, 3 industry
 LMS: 3 fellows, 51 person months
 Research Topics:
 Robust Design, Reliability analysis, RBDO, Optimization
 Industrial applications: Automotive, Aerospace (composites)
 Roberto d’Ippolito (from Italy)
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M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Univ. Naples “Federico II”, 2003
“MADUSE” Marie Curie fellow at LMS (June ’04 – May ’07):
Enrolled in K.U.Leuven PhD program while at LMS (ongoing)
Moved back to Italy afterwards, but stayed within the LMS company:
based at LMS office in Novara (IT)
Currently R&D Project Manager at LMS Noesis Solutions :
Specific focus on university and industry contacts & networking
actions in Italy, training of students.
>30 conference papers, 5 journal papers
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http://www.maduse.org
Tiziana Cardone – “MADUSE”:
Modelling Product Variability and Data Uncertainty in Structural Dynamics Engineering
 Project: FP6 RTN “MADUSE” (April 2004 – March 2008),
http://www.maduse.org
http://www.smart-structures.eu
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Research Training Network (RTN) with 9 partners
 K.U.Leuven (coord), 5 more universities, 3 industry
 LMS: 3 fellows, 51 person months
 Research Topics:
 Robust Design, Reliability analysis, RBDO, Optimization
 Industrial applications: Automotive, Aerospace (composites)
 Tiziana Cardone (from Italy)
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M.Sc. Engineering at University of Naples “Federico II” (110/110),
since long academic research partner of LMS
Master after Master “Motor Vehicle Engineering” in collaboration
with ELASIS, including an internship at LMS in Leuven
Recruited as ESR for MADUSE (8 months), linking MADUSE
methodologies to controls engineering applications
Moved to R&D partner Fraunhofer LBF (Germany) to complete
her PhD – Recruited as ESR (36 months) for the ongoing FP6
Marie Curie RTN “Smart Structures in CAE” (coord. KULeuven)
LBF is engaged in joint technology development together with LMS
– has asked us as partner in 2 EC projects
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Marco Pierini – “MONICA”:
Methods on noise identification control activities
 Project: FP4 HCM “MONICA” (1994-1997)
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Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) Project
 3 year duration, coordinated by UNIFI
 Research Topic:
 Global vibro-acoustic modelling & noise control
 Marco Pierini (from Italy)
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M.Sc. In Mechanical Engineering in 1991 at UNIFI;
 “MONICA” fellowship at Brüel Acoustics, DK
 PhD in 1994, then mixed industrial-academic career:
• Centro Ricerche FIAT (CRF), Turin (IT) from 1995,
• Mechanics and Nuclear Engineering Dept., Univ. Manchester, U.K,
• 1996: 1 year at K.U.Leuven (BE), EU Brite Euram Project VAMP
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UNIFI in Florence (IT) as assistant professor (1998), associate
professor (2002) working on transport safety and NVH.
 Co-founder and current coordinator of CISAP
 Active within EARPA (TF Modeling & Simulation, Safety, …)
 Currently Group leader; responsible for many EC & national projects
 Responsible for EC FP7 ITN “VECOM” & EC FP6 RTN “MYMOSA”
EC FP7
CP “MID-MOD” (strategic partner for LMS/KUL)
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LMS International
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VECOM
Vehicle Concept Modeling
 EC FP7 ITN “VECOM” (nr. 213543), Oct. 2008 – Sept. 2012
 EC Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN)
 Originates from EARPA Task Force “Modeling & Simulation”
(see http://www.earpa.org)
 Main Topic: Vehicle Concept Modeling
Improved initial CAD design  Shorter development cycle
 Increased feasibility to balance multiple attributes
 Multi-level simulation (1D to 3D)
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 Project Partners:
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UPVLC - University of Valencia (coordinator),
 6 additional universities, with K.U.Leuven, UNIFI
 3 Research Institutes: with FhG-LBF,
 Industry: LMS, AVL, CRF, BMW
 LMS Fellows:
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Marco Gubitosa (IT, ESR, 2008-2011) Chassis & Suspension
concept modeling
 Gianni Stigliano (IT, ER, 10/09-06/10) on Body Concept Modeling
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http://www.vecom.org
Thank you – Any Questions?
Stijn Donders
stijn.donders@lmsintl.com
tel: +32 16 384 531
Herman Van der Auweraer
herman.vanderauweraer@lmsintl.com
tel: +32 16 384 325
We gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for their support of the Marie Curie
program, including the running FP7 Marie Curie ITN projects “Mid-Frequency” and “VECOM”
Nov. 6, 2009 - Marie Curie day “Beurzen voor internationale mobiliteit”