Tooling expert Walter AG (www.walter-tools.com) is co-operating with the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University to offer students a digital business information systems degree — the Bachelor of Science in Business Information Studies — in recognition of the “potency of Industry 4.0 and to effectively ‘open the door’ to career opportunities in smart factories”.

The three-year course, which starts this autumn, will combine scientific study with practical experience; students will move between the university and Walter every three months to gain knowledge, professional experience and ‘soft skills’ in equal measure. The degree will be recognised internationally.

A Walter spokesman said: “Industry 4.0 means that mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology are growing closer together to form an intelligently networked production method.

“As a result, the interlocking of the analogue and the digital worlds requires a lasting change of attitude — hence the development of the new course.”

Students studying for this degree will receive a fixed salary throughout the duration of the course and will enjoy all the privileges of a Walter AG employee.

Furthermore, an internship abroad with a Walter subsidiary, lasting several weeks, is a planned section of the course.