Experience science on site again
On July 1, companies and researchers met for the first time at "Business meets Science 2021" at Celsiuz.
Zittau, Äußere Oybiner Straße. Who isn’t familiar with those imposing red walls and the stories behind them? These are the Mandau-Höfe—a former cotton mill—that is gradually, time and again, and more and more being filled with new life. Cotton is no longer spun here, nor are textiles produced. Today, ideas and projects for the immediate future are developed here, plans are forged, and networks are built and maintained. For this purpose,
offers CELSIUZ—the Co-Creation Lab for Supply Infrastructure of the Saxony5 project at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences—as the perfect venue. Research associate Jens Maiwald presented the concept behind the space, and after the reception, all guests were able to explore CELSIUZ in staggered groups, gaining an understanding of the space’s capabilities and many of the HSZG’s research projects.
Through a joint initiative of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences with the General Entrepreneurs’ Association of Zittau and Surrounding Areas e.V., the Dresden Chamber of Crafts, and the Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce—including its Görlitz and Zittau offices—science met entrepreneurship and society met research at the “Business Meets Science” event on July 1.
A Diverse Program
The more than 70 participants toured the Co-Creation Lab and drew inspiration from the various research projects underway there. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Meinert introduced a practical example of knowledge transfer between universities and industry and presented the ANKIP project, which is being implemented in collaboration with Use My Energy GmbH in Zittau. The project focuses on developing tools for designing waste heat utilization concepts that can be applied by companies in the region either independently or with the support of engineering firms.
The program also included a presentation of the interim results of the “Lausitz – Life and Technology (L&T)” alliance project by Leonie Liemich, the project coordinator. Drawing on projects in the four innovation fields: networked energy systems through storage technologies, additive manufacturing for more efficient production, non-formal regional education, and attractive living and working environments, the alliance aims to strengthen the economic power of the border triangle region and successfully shape structural change in Lausitz. One of the projects—called “Wirksam”—will also be moving into the Mandau-Höfe. These facilities were also open for tours.
It was a lively evening featuring discussion, networking, and inspiration in a pleasant atmosphere with good weather. The on-site gathering of representatives from business, academia, and civil society, as well as the opportunity to “engage in conversation with one another,” play a significant role in the joint shaping of the region and its development.
The event’s organizing team—in particular Matthias Schwarzbach from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and Mareike Schneider, Sinziana Schönfelder, and Martin Kunack from Saxony⁵—would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all contributors and participants for the successful meeting and are already looking forward to the next “Business Meets Science” event in January 2022.
