Three million euros for Lausitz

The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) in Zittau have successfully secured a total of 3 million euros in investment funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the Lausitz region as part of the Lausitz – Life & Technology (L&T) to secure a total of 3 million euros in investment funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for Upper Lusatia.

The investment funds were made available to research institutions through the BMBF’s WiR! – Change Through Innovation in the Region – to improve innovation capacity in the fields of additive manufacturing, networked energy systems, and energy storage technologies, as well as to strengthen internal communication within the alliance (digitalization). Of the 3 million euros approved, the HSZG secured approximately 1.4 million euros for technological investments in the analysis and modification of surfaces, for systems to investigate high-temperature storage devices, and for a high-energy pulsed laser to study space-charge zones in elastomers. The Fraunhofer IWU in Zittau secured approximately 1.6 million euros for a powder-based high-performance3D printer with a large build volume and multi-laser technology for the fast and efficient additive manufacturing of large, complex metal components on an industrial scale.

The following video provides a good overview of how this printer works and the impact it will have on local industry:

Unique selling points through targeted investments

This federal funding will be used to make long-term investments in Upper Lusatia and strengthen the development of unique regional features. The cooperative approach of the alliance is a particular advantage here. More than 70 regional companies, Lusatian stakeholders and research institutions are now active in the L&T network, providing important impetus for upcoming research projects and development processes as well as market opportunities for users in Lausitz. The investments form the technical basis for specific R&D projects of the L&T Alliance and lead directly to a technological advantage for the project consortia.

In the "Networked energy systems and storage systems" innovation field, the strategic goal is to drive forward the expansion of Lausitz as a business and research location in the field of energy economics with a focus on modern storage technologies and a decentralized energy supply. The "Additive manufacturing" innovation field focuses on more cost- and resource-efficient production through the use of new 3D printing technologies.

Modern Communication Tools for Lausitz

Furthermore, the HSZG’s investment proposal takes into account that networking and alliance-building have been—and continue to be—a particular challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal here is to strengthen digital communication within the alliance, but above all to extend it into the region. On the one hand, this supports the transfer of knowledge within the alliance. On the other hand, new digital communication technologies are also being established for the region. This component of the overall investment proposal includes, for example, state-of-the-art VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) devices, as well as investments in the digital creation, editing, and use of scientific content or topics. These, in turn, serve STEM education on the one hand, but can also be used by companies for continuing education purposes.