Eaton celebrates 10 years of strategic energy innovation at the FEN Research Campus

October 10, 2024

• Flexible Electrical Networks (FEN) Research Campus in Aachen, Germany marks 10th anniversary.
• Since 2018, Eaton has supported the development of greener and more flexible power systems as a FEN industry partner.
• Collaboration milestones include seven active innovation projects, a campus co-location, and Jörgen von Bodenhausen’s appointment to FEN’s board.

Aachen, Germany – Power management company Eaton is today celebrating a decade of energy innovation success at the FEN Research Campus within RWTH Aachen University. Eaton is proud to be a strategic partner in the FEN consortium’s pioneering efforts to unlock more reliable, affordable and sustainable power as the energy transition accelerates.

Founded in 2014, the FEN Research Campus is a public/private innovation partnership funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Consisting of 34 interdisciplinary partners, the FEN consortium focuses on enabling more flexible, scalable and agnostic direct current (DC) solutions that can simplify and support Europe’s move to electrification and distributed renewable generation.

Since joining as an industry partner in 2018, Eaton has collaborated with the FEN consortium on varied research and innovation programs—primarily through the Eaton Research Labs (ERL) team in Bonn, Germany.

“We’re honored to have been part of FEN’s successes over the past decade,” comments Jörgen von Bodenhausen, senior manager, Government Programs, Eaton. “Becoming a consortium member unlocked fantastic opportunities for us to be at the forefront of power R&D, helping to shape future energy systems with leaders from academia and industry. The partnership acts as a force multiplier on our own innovation investments too, as we help utilities, businesses and homeowners unlock clean, reliable and affordable power.”

As the FEN Research Campus has grown over the past decade, so too has its partnership with Eaton. In September 2019, von Bodenhausen was appointed to the FEN Research Campus board of directors to help develop its strategy and organizational structure. Two years later, the ERL team established a co-location on the FEN Research Campus for five dedicated engineers.

“We hugely value our presence on the FEN Research Campus, which we intend to grow and support with new laboratories,” adds von Bodenhausen. “It gives our teams access to outstanding facilities and expertise, as well as opportunities to keep up with key trends and collaborate on government programs. Our partnership with FEN has also strengthened our talent pipeline—increasing awareness of Eaton as a leading employer and enabling post-graduate students at RWTH Aachen University to gain valuable industry experience. We very much look forward to deepening this strategic partnership even further in the coming years.”

Eaton is currently collaborating on seven research and innovation projects with FEN consortium members, as well as external organizations. These includes Shift2DC, enabling adoption of more efficient and reliable DC power systems, InterSTORE, engineering unified battery storage, and FLOW, developing and demonstrating integrated electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

“Advances in power electronics are vital to energy transition success and we’re delighted to be able to rely on Eaton’s expertise,” says Prof. Dr. ir. Dr. h. c. Rik De Doncker, Speaker of Research Campus Flexible Electrical Networks at RWTH Aachen University. “As one of our key industrial partners, Eaton’s collaboration has been invaluable in turning scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. Our joint efforts over the past decade are an excellent example of how close cooperation between science and industry can identify, develop and commercialize breakthroughs for a sustainable future.”

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come. 

Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. We reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.