In today's world, many industries, especially the automotive and capital goods industries, are faced with multi-faceted challenges resulting from the increasing speed of innovation, shortened product life cycles and the increasing number of complex products and their variations- themselves byproducts of an increase in customer orientation. One of the best ways to meet such challenges is through the use of intelligent mechatronic products and production systems. Thanks to intelligent components such as intelligent sensors, drives and control equipment, it is possible to configure these products in an utmost flexible manner. These components are decisive for a system's aggregate functionality, and are made up of distributed embedded systems. Distributed embedded systems are characteristerised by continuously increasing complexity and functionality, determined almost exclusively by a component's software. 

The Department of Information Technology in Mechanical Engineering focuses on both the methodological and technological IT aspects of mechatronic product and production system design and optimization. At the focal point are the individual phases of the development process; starting with establishing the target specifications, design, component development and testing, bringing the product into service, as well as through the operational, maintenance, and any necessary reengineering stages. These stages demand quality-oriented working methods supported by the optimal IT tools, which can be reached through a modern quality management system that extends through the entire development process. Quality management also helps main control over the high rate of innovation, the continuously decreasing product life cycles, and the aforementioned increasing number of customer-oriented products and their variations.