Hamburg/Mainz, January 14, 2026 – Plura Europe and Mainz University of Applied Sciences unveiled the Plura Event Timer System (PETS) in Germany for the first time at the “Hamburg Open” conference. The software prototype was presented to an audience of technology decision-makers from German and European broadcast companies on the “Open Stage.”
PETS was developed as part of a collaboration between the broadcast technology manufacturer and Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Since July 1, 2025, both partners have been working together on the “development and validation of a front end for timer control” in a beta version. This successful collaboration will continue in 2026.
Plura Europe has been developing and manufacturing solutions in the fields of monitors, timer systems, and signal processing for decades. Representing Mainz University of Applied Sciences were Prof. Dr. Marcel Hauck (Chair of Media Informatics), Prof. Dr. Sven Pagel, and Ayman Assakhir from the WIMM research group.
The annual Hamburg Open is regarded as a key platform for innovation and networking in the fields of media production, streaming, broadcast, and film. The presentation of PETS also served as a successful example of a public-private partnership between a university and industry. The prototype specifically addresses the concept of interoperability within technological frameworks. The system is no longer aimed exclusively at traditional broadcast applications but also opens up new areas of application—such as managing conferences in city councils or parliaments. Simon Rauh, Business Development Manager at Plura Europe, explains: “Plura has been a global leader in timing systems for decades. PETS is the next step in expanding our proprietary technology with open hardware and software components.”
The development process took place through close collaboration between experienced and junior developers: Jürgen Loh (Director of Engineering / Timing at Plura Europe) and Ayman Assakhir (Junior Software Developer at Mainz University of Applied Sciences) formed the core team. “I particularly like the combination of hardware and software: I press a button and immediately see how the code I wrote on the computer affects the physical world,” says Assakhir.
Prof. Dr. Marcel Hauck, project leader at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, adds: “It’s very important to us to foster ties with industry through such collaborations. This allows us to generate new knowledge and apply innovative methods.” In the follow-up project, PETS will be expanded to include, among other things, database applications as well as administrative and planning functions.
Further information:
www.plurainc.com
WIMM Research Group
