Design alternatives for internationally distributed learning factories in global production engineering

An internationally distributed learning factory (IDLF) provides opportunities to make students aware of intercultural challenges in global production networks. An IDLF is a scalable network of learning factories with value creation processes in spatially distributed locations. It enables collaboration and competition between student groups in distant locations and considers manual and automatic process methods. Due to the high number of design alternatives for IDLFs, a systematic approach for describing attractive characteristics is required. This paper shows design alternatives for IDLFs structural and process organization on the example of learning factories in Germany, Turkey and Vietnam.