Cybersecurity complements THI's IT degree programme

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) and ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH signed a cooperation and funding agreement in the area of the bachelor's degree programme in cyber security newly offered at THI on 20 December 2021. The endowed professorship will be supervised by the Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. (Donors' Association for German Science).

The new degree programme, which is also offered in the form of a degree programme with in-depth practical experience ("dual degree programme"), will begin in October 2022. The ESG supports teaching at the THI by providing funding for an endowed professorship on the topic of "Cybersecurity and Systems Security Engineering". The endowed professorship will be pre-financed for five years and then continued by the THI.

The new degree programme is located in the Faculty of Computer Science, which has seen the strongest growth in students within the framework of the High-Tech Agenda. In addition to traditional computer science, bachelor's and master's degree programmes are offered there in flight and vehicle computer science, computational life sciences, business information systems, artificial intelligence and user experience design. THI President Prof. Dr. Walter Schober is pleased about the new degree programme: "Cyber attacks are increasing worldwide and cause enormous economic damage. The latest study by the digital association Bitkom estimates annual damages of over €220 billion. The demand for cybersecurity specialists in the economy is therefore enormous. In the new degree programme, we are training experts to secure the data sovereignty of the organisations in which they work. ESG's endowed professorship supports us in developing this offering."  

Ingolstadt's Member of the Bundestag Dr Reinhard Brandl, who established the contact between ESG and THI, says: "With every further step towards the digitalisation of the economy and society, the importance of the security of the systems used grows. I therefore very much welcome the fact that the THI is opening up further competences in this future field with this endowed professorship. The university has found the ideal partner for this in ESG. The company has an excellent reputation and great experience in the development of safety-relevant electronic and IT systems."

"The sweeping digitalisation of our societies offers enormous opportunities to positively shape our future. At the same time, we will only be able to transfer these into concrete beneficial products, services and methods if we can also ensure their safety, integrity and resilience ("safety & security"). For this, we increasingly need highly trained professionals - experts in cyber security. With our commitment as the founder of a new professorship and the cooperation with the THI, we not only want to strengthen our own junior staff at ESG, but also make a visible contribution to internal/public and external security that goes far beyond this and inspires imitation. In parallel, we are investing massively in the sustainable expansion of our service portfolio as a reliable national technology and innovation partner for security in cyber and information space," said Christoph Otten, CEO of ESG, on the occasion of the signing of the cooperation agreement.

About ESG:

ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH is one of the leading German companies for the development, production, integration, maintenance, support and operation of complex, security-relevant systems, mission equipment, software and IT. ESG is an approved aviation company for aircraft and aircraft equipment of the German Armed Forces and an aeronautical company according to EASA Part 21J, EASA Part G and EASA Part 145. Independence, engineering spirit and in-depth domain knowledge are at the core of its entrepreneurial DNA. As a reliable technology and innovation partner of the German Armed Forces, authorities and industry, ESG has been offering customised, customer-specific solutions, services and products for safety in all dimensions of a networked world for over 50 years.

About THI:

The TH Ingolstadt is distinguished throughout Germany by its research strength and strong application orientation. Approximately 800 employees supervise about 6,500 students in more than 70 technical and economic Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes. 180 professors work in five faculties and five research institutes. With the CARISSMA research building, the THI form the nationwide leading scientific centre for vehicle safety. As the Bavarian AI mobility node, the university is building a centre for artificial intelligence with around 120 scientists, funded by the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria. With these innovations, the THI is securing the science and business location in the centre of Bavaria.