Effective applied research is based on close collaboration between research and industry, which taking the findings of basic research on customer demands as its starting point, creates a new means for developing and marketing innovative products. What is more, growing demands for innovative and sustainable results of research and development are prompting the examination of global trends such as demographic change, growing megacities, rising energy consumption and increasing traffic and the resultant social challenges. These trends and increasing traffic in particular are giving rise to new fields of work, especially for digital technologies, as a social responsibility, e.g., in driver assistance and traffic control systems that increase safety.
This paper examines a means by which digital engineering, virtual and augmented reality technologies can support the creation of sustainable smart manufacturing and smart logistics processes as well as on-the-job training and qualification and knowledge transfer.
 Belardinelli, C., Blümel, E., Müller, G., Schenk, M., “Making the virtual more real: research at the Fraunhofer IFF Virtual Development and Training Centre,” J. Cognitive Processing, vol. 9, pp. 217–224, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10339-008-0216-0
 Blümel, E., “Virtual Reality Based Technology Platforms for Development, Testing and Training,” Ginters, E, Bluemel, E., (eds.), in Proceedings of Annual International Conference Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education, VARE 2011, Riga, Latvia. Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, pp. 1–16, March 18, 2011.
 Blümel, E., Fredrich, H., Winge, A., “Applied knowledge transfer to European SMEs by expertise networks using mixed reality,” Niedrite, L, Strazdina, R., Wangler, B., (eds.), BIR 2011 International Workshops and Doctoral Consortium, Oct. 6, 2011, Riga, Latvia. Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. Berlin: Springer, vol. 106, pp. 90–101, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29231-6_8
 Burdea, G., Coiffet, P., Virtual Reality Technology, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2003.
 Bruns, F.W., “Lernen in Mixed Reality,” ABWF (ed.) Kompetenzentwicklung, 2003, pp. 71–112, Waxmann, Berlin, 2003.
 Blümel, E., “Stand und Entwicklungstrends des Einsatzes von VR/AR-Techniken für Qualifizierung und Training im Arbeitsprozess“. In: GfA e.V. (Hrsg.), Kompetenzentwicklung in realen und virtuellen Arbeitssystemen, pp. 241–244, GfA-Press, Dortmund, 2007.
 T. Reek, A. Winge “Realistic virtual systems to improve vocational training”. in Achievements and Results 2009 Annual Report of the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF Magdeburg, pp. 96–97, Magdeburg, 2009.
 Bluemel, E., Fredrich, H., Winge, A., “Using Mixed reality for expertise networks to transfer knowledge to industry,” in Perspectives in Business Informatics Research. Local Proceedings of the 10th Int. Conf., BIR 2011, Associated Workshops and Doctoral Consortium, Riga, Latvia, pp. 181–188, Oct. 6–8, 2011.