Around 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from LIMO's Dortmund headquarters in Germany is the Russian State Technical University in Nizhny Novgorod. In May 2014 a delegation from LIMO Lissotschenko Mikrooptik GmbH paid a visit to "Eurotech," a University-affiliated education centre that specialises in training future engineers. The name of the centre stands for "Automobile Center of European Educational Technologies."
The LIMO delegates were welcomed by Eurotech Director Alla Koshurina, who spoke to them about a new expansion building. The building, which is currently still in the early construction phase, will serve as a laser application centre housing multiple laser systems for the cutting and welding technology application fields.
This is where LIMO's expertise comes in: for over 20 years, the Dortmund-based company has developed and manufactured innovative microoptics and laser systems for applications in various industries, including materials processing for the automotive industry. During the visit to Nizhny Novgorod, LIMO and Eurotech explored the possibilities for a long-term partnership focused on the initial and advanced training of Russian engineers and technical specialists in industrial production, and they were also able to map out specific initial steps to begin the process. The first step will see three individuals from the training center in Nizhny Novgorod travel to Dortmund at the end of the summer. These three visitors will then complete an advanced training programme in laser material processing, covering CNC laser machines and more, at the LIMO Application Center.
"These training programs are supported by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation," explained Peter Bruns, Director of Application & Technical Service at LIMO. "On our visit to the Eurotech training centre, we were shown test stands that are being used to prepare future engineers for work in the automotive engineering field. The new laser application center will be an important addition to this hands-on training segment."
At LIMO, connections with Russia enjoy a long tradition. Company founder and CEO Dr. Vitalij Lissotschenko is himself a native of Russia. Many members of LIMO's very international staff also come from Russia and other Eastern European countries. Aside from German, the language spoken most frequently during work at LIMO is Russian – which can even be heard more often than English. Intercultural training sessions offered by LIMO have focused mainly on the cultural exchange between Germany and Russia. As a result, the three visitors from Nizhny Novgorod will find that excellent conditions are in place for well-functioning communication and friendly cooperation among colleagues for the duration of their training programme.