A collaboration between ESILV and Campus Schwarzwald is reinforcing academic exchange and applied research in robotics and digital innovation, with a focus on student internships and European projects.
The latest mission to Freudenstadt lays the groundwork for future cooperation between the two institutions, combining academic expertise and industrial application.
A strategic mission to the Black Forest
Swaminath Venkateswaran, head of the Industry & Robotics department at ESILV, traveled to Campus Schwarzwald in Freudenstadt, Germany, as part of a cooperation framework between the two institutions.
This visit aimed to assess ongoing internship activity, advance discussions on research projects, and explore further academic partnerships.
Campus Schwarzwald, located in the Black Forest region, serves as a hub of innovation closely connected with universities in Baden-Württemberg. It focuses on Industry 4.0 and emerging Industry 5.0 challenges, notably in industrial robotics, cybersecurity, and digital twins.
Internship supervision and joint academic activities
During the visit, Swaminath conducted an intermediate evaluation of Ibrahim Almountaka Sambare’s class of 2025 internship, which is currently underway as part of a four-month research project at Campus Schwarzwald.
As part of the Industry & Robotics major at ESILV, Ibrahim is contributing to the Trustpoint project, an open-source solution for secure provisioning of digital certificates in industrial networks.
This internship is part of a broader academic initiative aimed at integrating applied learning and enhancing collaboration on industry-led projects.
Ibrahim is contributing to the Trustpoint project at Campus Schwarzwald.
Technical contribution to secure IoT integration
As part of the mid-term review, Ibrahim presented the results of his technical project titled Trustpoint x Node-RED. The project focuses on integrating secure certificate provisioning using the Trustpoint protocol (EST/mTLS) within Node-RED, an open-source IoT platform widely used in industrial automation.
The presentation addressed the following achievements:
- Automated key and certificate generation
- Secure MQTT communication with mutual TLS (mTLS)
- Development of a dynamic Node-RED interface and dashboard
- Full technical documentation
- Operational and efficient deployment
- Feedback from his academic tutor, Swaminath Venkateswaran; internship supervisor, Florian Handke; and Campus Schwarzwald’s Managing Director, Stefan Bogenrieder, emphasized the quality and clarity of the demonstration, as well as the speed of its implementation.
The project was recognised as a substantial contribution to ongoing innovation efforts in industrial security protocols.
Expanding European research collaboration
The institutions also discussed the FORTIS project, currently under review. The project proposes the development of digital twins to improve operator safety in innovative industrial environments.
The initiative involves Campus Schwarzwald as coordinator, the De Vinci Research Center (DVRC) for robotics and ROS integration, and ISG Industrielle Steuerungstechnik GmbH, a German SME specializing in automation.
This research aligns with shared priorities in digitalisation, safety, and advanced simulation technologies.
Local and institutional support
A symbolic meeting with the Mayor of Freudenstadt, Adrian Sonder, took place during the visit. It highlighted the importance of city-to-city cooperation between Freudenstadt and Courbevoie, the home of ESILV.
The local ecosystem, rich in small and medium-sized industrial firms, was described as agile and well-suited for hosting innovation-focused internships and research collaboration.
The partnership benefits from mutual interest across academic, municipal, and industrial actors, including the leadership of Campus Schwarzwald, represented by Stefan Bogenrieder.
Next steps for ESILV and Campus Schwarzwald
Pedagogical collaboration is poised to grow, particularly in the context of digital twin applications, group projects such as PI², and future internship placements.
Both institutions are aligned on key topics such as robotics, AI, and industrial digitalisation, reinforcing the relevance of this international partnership.
This long-term cooperation opens further opportunities for ESILV students and faculty to engage in applied European research and gain experience within high-tech industrial ecosystems.
Learn more about ESILV’s Industry & Robotics Major