AQUA stands for Knowledge Alliance for Training Quality and Excellence in Automotive. The AQUA project (2013 – 2015) was financially supported by the European Commission in the Leonardo da Vinci part of the Lifelong Learning Programme under the project number EAC-2012-0635.

The AQUA project was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union - 2015-1-CZ01-KA203-013986 - 2015 – 2017, and AQU integrated the training program to universities in Austria, Germany, France, Slovenia, and Czech Republic. This training is available for industry and university.

AQUA developed an architectural concept that allows focusing on specific core areas (e.g. Product Development – Life Cycle) and to access an introduction and proposed best practices from four different views:

1. Integrated View

2. Automotive SPICE

3. Functional Safety

4. Design for Six Sigma

This modular strategy allows companies to look at each method seperately or gain an advanced insight into how these methods in fact are working together in advanced engineering companies.

In the past the role of an Automotive quality manager was based on standards like IEC 16949 and the implementation of a quality management system.

With the increase of complexity of car functionality and the use of electronics (more than 100 ECUs in cars connected by a bus and each car function mapped onto an ECU cluster). Automotive SPICE (ISO 15504) knowledge is meanwhile an important area of knowledge to assess Automotive systems which include electronics and software. Most of the manufacturers demand a SPICE level 3 from the suppliers.

Faults of electronics and software can lead to hazards (e.g. blocking wheels, unintended steering, no brake force, etc.) so that a new standard ISO 26262 for functional safety has to be implemented. Systems that might cause a hazard get classified by an ASIL-A to D level. Therefore quality managers who have to release a product to the market must know about functional safety as well.

Quality management (also already at IEC 16949) has a responsibility for the entire product cycle, including the production part. Six Sigma is nowadays the most well-known method and statistical tool box for quality control in production.

In AQUA we form the picture of a new education “Automotive Quality Manager with AQUA Skills” where we train quality managers for the integrated understanding of the above three methods. It provides the qualification necessary to make the experts in these different fields collaborate in an integrated way.

To access the course you must register at https://www.eurospi.net/academy.html.

The price includes a certificate recognised by automotive industry, and costs every 2 years 150 Euro.

The course is held with ECTS at master level at TU Graz and offered online and onsite in inhouse trainings through the EuroSPI academy to industry.