Workforce pipeline: The effort targets skilled talent for automotive, aerospace and manufacturing industries.
- New labs opened: Purdue University, Rittal and Eplan opened the Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and the Rittal Technology Manufacturing Lab in Dudley Hall.
- Partnership structure: Purdue is the primary U.S. academic research partner within the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network, under a five-year collaboration announced in October 2025.
- Hands-on focus: The labs give School of Engineering Technology students experience with digital engineering, physical infrastructure and automation technologies.
- Broader initiatives: The partnership includes plans for scholarships, internships, workforce development and joint research and development.
A Partnership Built for the Factory Floor
Purdue University, Rittal and Eplan have opened two new learning labs in Dudley Hall: the Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and the Rittal Technology Manufacturing Lab.
Purdue serves as the primary U.S. academic research partner within the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network. Rittal and Eplan are companies within the Germany-based Friedhelm Loh Group.
What Students Get Their Hands On
The labs sit within Purdue's School of Engineering Technology and give engineering technology students hands-on experience with digital engineering, physical infrastructure and automation technologies. That combination matters. The collaboration reflects Rittal and Eplan's commitment to strengthening education with industry technologies and workflows — the same tools students will encounter on the job.
Purdue Polytechnic Institute students collaborate on a hands-on engineering technology project in a lab in Dudley Hall.
The goal is a pipeline of skilled talent for industries like automotive, aerospace and manufacturing.
Beyond the Lab Walls
The partnership expands beyond the new labs. Plans include scholarships, internships, workforce development opportunities, and joint research and development initiatives — a broader effort to connect classroom learning with industry demand.
For manufacturing professionals watching the skills gap, this is the kind of industry-academic model worth tracking: equipment, workflows and career pathways bundled into a single five-year commitment.
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