How can we make our region, Upper Lusatia, more attractive? What technological and social innovations can stimulate the local economy? How can skilled workers discover interesting development opportunities and at the same time families find an attractive living environment?
In order to solve these tasks for Upper Lusatia, companies, educational institutions, research institutes and associations have joined forces in the Lusatia - Life and Technology Alliance (L&T).Together, we are developing innovative instruments and testing new formats.
The Lusatia - Life and Technology Alliance won the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) competition in the "WIR! - Wandel durch Innovation in der Region - BMBF" program with its strategy concept and was declared one of the prize winners. It now has a budget of 6.7 million euros at its disposal to implement projects in line with its own strategy.The implementation phase began in 2019 and a wide range of projects in four innovation areas will be implemented over the next five years.
Our goals:Developing models in the field of social innovation to increase the attractiveness of rural areas. The focus is on the areas of extracurricular education in the STEM field, attractive working models for rural areas and the understanding of technical-technological and social innovations for innovative regional development.
Our project:Living and working in a scenic region become a brand in its own right. A confident lifestyle in towns and villages, family-friendly working conditions and the use of digitalization improve the basis for staying here and returning.
With a focus on the internationalization of the alliance, L&T is developing an internationalization strategy in the second implementation phase that is tailored to the needs and opportunities of the project and alliance partners. Topics such as international visibility of the alliance, market access, targeted networking and competence marketing will be key components of this strategy, with L&T focusing on the border triangle and building on existing communication and cooperation channels and agreements of its partners. From the perspective of SMEs in particular, it is important to determine feasibility, acceptance and potential markets in order to develop viable approaches.
The project "Innovation potentials in the border region", which is dedicated to supporting meetings and joint planning with regional stakeholders for an innovative environment in the Schluckenauer Zipfel and Upper Lusatia region, is based on the strategy of the Lusatia - Life & Technology alliance and is the first step towards an internationalization strategy.
Both the Schluckenauer Zipfel on the Czech side and Upper Lusatia on the Saxon side face similar challenges as border regions: the effects of the brain drain (migration of skilled workers), the low level of activity by companies in the area of their own innovations and the low level of knowledge transfer from research institutions into practice. At the same time, this situation is not comprehensively investigated, analyzed or coordinated in the border region. The area has a strong industrial tradition that needs to be supported by, among other things, the creation of an appropriate and effective innovation environment and the development of adequate infrastructure. Two areas with great potential for innovation and transfer into practice - mechanical engineering and renewable energy and energy systems - have been selected for the needs of the project.
Project description
Upper Lusatia is undergoing structural change, both economically and socially. Innovative developments in regional companies will become increasingly important, not only against the backdrop of the digital transformation of industry and society's demand for sustainable business practices.
In order to meet these challenges, the European Open Academy has set itself the goal of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, as well as large companies in the Upper Lusatia region. Their employees are given the opportunity to take part in on-site professional development courses on promising topics such as digital technologies in the context of Industry 4.0.
Central workplace
Central workplaces are smart learning environments that integrate flexible and innovative learning solutions into modern working and learning environments. These are flexible physical learning spaces that are enriched or augmented with digital devices depending on the context. The aim of these intelligent learning environments is to enable learning with regard to specialist knowledge and the development of digital skills.
In order to meet these requirements, it is planned to develop and investigate three primary and, above all, flexible and innovative didactically sound learning environment concepts: the Innovative Makerspace, the Agile Learningspace and the Instructional Learningspace.
Project description
In the strategy development project of "Lausitz - Life and Technology", organizational and decision-making structures are being developed and established. In terms of content, the formulated strategic innovation areas will be qualified in terms of measures and cooperation will be designed. The focus is on intensively interlinking the individual areas, taking into account the interests of the various stakeholders.
During the conception phase, partnerships were formed in the innovation areas "Networked energy systems through storage technologies", "Additive manufacturing for more efficient production", "Non-formal regional education" and "Attractive working and living environments". The aim is to expand these collaborations, find additional partners for the alliance, optimize organizational structures and further develop the strategy for successful implementation. The strategy for the region's development will be continuously adapted in line with current requirements and scientific/technical developments.
The localization of the alliance, i.e. the creation of real and digital spaces in which the players can meet and exchange ideas, is one of the main tasks facing the alliance management. The alliance consortium is therefore striving to develop a "WIRkstätte" as a meeting and working place where different civil society groups can come together through appropriate formats and work to improve social coexistence. The aim is to strengthen the sense of WE in the region. Concepts must be drawn up and all areas of interest must be strategically networked with one another in order to develop and design this WIRkstätte.
Project goals
Project description
Innovation management is required for the successful development of the alliance and its ability to function as a regional player. This management will be used to set up and establish organizational structures, coordinate processes and develop communication structures for the alliance. In addition, as part of the overall strategy of the Lusatia - Life and Technology project, project applicants are accompanied and supported in the preparation phase of applications. Potential project partners are identified, joint ideas are generated and planned and precise tasks are defined. Innovation management is regularly analyzed in partner meetings and adapted to the needs of the alliance partners.
In addition to the alliance work, the alliance and project activities are monitored, taking into account the technical and social innovation fields defined in the strategy paper.
The newly founded association neo.Net e.V. is responsible for innovation management. It forms the basis for an efficient organizational and management structure for the "Lusatia - Life and Technology" alliance, which will continue to exist beyond the WIR! funding programme. In this way, it ensures the sustainability of the network's activities. neo.Net e.V. ensures a structured exchange of information between the partners and across project boundaries.
Project goals
Background information on the project:
The aim of the project is to research and further develop multi-laser SLM technology with a large installation space both for the necessary improvement of process reproducibility and component quality and for the competitive production of optimized metal components for hybrid FRP/metal lightweight structures with high and combined mechanical and thermal loads.
Using the example of a hybrid FRP/metal turbine blade for use in industrial steam turbines, the manufacturing possibilities of metal 3D printing in combination with the use of fiber-reinforced plastic composites to achieve a maximum degree of lightweight construction will be investigated and demonstrated. On the one hand, the mass reduction of rotor and guide vanes enables a significant increase in the performance classes of steam turbines. On the other hand, however, the high and complex loads in the blade root and the high tribological load due to droplet erosion at the leading edge of the turbine blade require metallic components in these critical areas.
The following work objectives were defined:
Background information on the project:
The Institut für Luft- und Kältetechnik gGmbH in Dresden has been working on the basic technology of "water as a refrigerant" in refrigeration and heating systems since the early 1990s and plays a leading role in this field of research at both national and international level. Since then, it has successfully demonstrated the development and testing of various laboratory and customer systems in the application areas of classic cold water generation for air conditioning in buildings, water treatment/seawater desalination and vacuum liquid ice generation with cold storage. The core component of a supply solution operated with "water as a refrigerant" is an electrically driven compressor developed by the ILK Dresden, which makes it possible to evaporate water vapor at low temperatures and bring it to a higher pressure/temperature level.
Project objective:
The overall objective of the proposed project is to carry out a technological reconsideration and optimization of the existing design of the main assembly "cover-contour unit" from today's point of view. The focus is to be placed on the use of modern production technologies and the consideration of future cost structures. As part of the project, the main assembly is to be broken down into individual functional groups and optimized by comparing and using innovative manufacturing methods.
Background information on the project:
The aim of the project is to develop additive manufacturing technology for large-scale machine assemblies, integrate these into digital workshop processes and implement time-efficient maintenance processes. A further sub-goal is the development and production of a demonstrator with typical engineering properties in this area.
Background information on the project:
The aim of the research network is the prototypical development and testing of a new type of energy storage solution for supplying heat to buildings using PV. Furthermore, models are being developed as part of the project in order to be able to make statements about the long-term operation of the prototype.
Background information on the project:
Many companies, including those in Upper Lusatia, have energy-intensive thermal process steps as part of their production, starting with baking, washing or drying and extending to thermal forming and primary forming as well as heat treatment processes. As most of the heat required is generated using fossil fuels, this results in high energy costs as well as considerable climate-damaging emissions. The ANKIP project aims to support regional companies in the development and implementation of innovative waste heat utilization concepts in order to achieve significant savings in fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of the project, tools are to be developed that enable the analysis of waste heat sources and sinks in companies, the selection of suitable components and systems for tapping waste heat potential and the energy-related and economic design of the systems. In addition to corresponding instructions (analysis methods, checklists, selection criteria), a powerful simulation tool based on the UME Designer is also being developed. The tools developed will be tested in practice in close cooperation with regional companies.
Background information on the project:
The BMBF-funded joint project "WIR! - Lausitz - Life & Technology - Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz - Analyse und Entwicklung außerschulischer MINT-Bildung" (ZukLOS) of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and Dresden University of Technology aims to lay the foundations for the further development of the extracurricular educational landscape in Upper Lusatia - especially in the STEM sector.
The aims of the project are
In this way, STEM-related problem-solving skills are to be promoted in the long term, particularly among young people aged 13 to 20, and a contribution made to securing the regional need for skilled workers.
The project is to be seen as an initial project, in which research will initially be conducted into the current status of extracurricular education in the districts of Görlitz and Bautzen during the one-year project period.
Project description
The project is based on the strategy of the Lusatia - Life & Technology alliance and is the first step towards an internationalization strategy.
Both the Schluckenauer Zipfel on the Czech side and Upper Lusatia on the Saxon side face similar challenges as border regions: the effects of the brain drain (migration of skilled workers), the low activity of companies in the area of their own innovations and the low transfer of knowledge from research institutions into practice. At the same time, this situation is not comprehensively investigated, analyzed or coordinated in the border region. The area has a strong industrial tradition that needs to be supported by, among other things, the creation of an appropriate and effective innovation environment and the development of adequate infrastructure. Two areas with great potential for innovation and transfer into practice - mechanical engineering and new energies and energy systems - have been selected for the needs of the project.
Specific measures for the emergence of cross-border cooperation:
Target group:
Results for the regions:
The project was funded by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Cooperation Program for the Promotion of Cross-border Cooperation between the Free State of Saxony and the Czech Republic 2014-2020. (ERN-1058-CZ-03.06.2021))
Background information on the project:
Business risks due to fluctuations in demand or supply chain disruptions generally increase along a value chain, depending on whether a company is closer to the end customer (ripple effect) or the first supplier (bullwhip effect; Ivanov 2018). Many companies in Lusatia tend to be classified as suppliers or service providers (ZWL 2020a).
There are various ways for these companies to reduce their entrepreneurial risk and increase their competitiveness (Wiendahl et al., 2014): They must become more resilient, be able to react more flexibly to today's constantly changing customer requirements (e.g. increasing variant diversity, decreasing batch sizes) and/or increase the innovative strength of their organization in order to reduce dependencies on a small number of individual (end) customers in a supply chain as much as possible. However, regional companies generally lack their own research and development capacities and resources (F&E; ZWL 2020a). In addition to organizational and technical approaches (e.g. under the keyword "Industry 4.0"; Kagermann et al. 2013), the focus is essentially on humans as reactive, innovative beings to achieve these goals - despite the possible analytical and physical superiority of machines (Breque et al. 2021; Tropschuh et al. 2021). From a regional perspective, however, this circumstance also points to another problem: the economic and social transformation processes in Lusatia, including demographic change and a shortage of skilled workers (ZWL 2020a).
Information or digital worker assistance systems, for example with the help of augmented reality (e.g. via the Microsoft HoloLens) or data glasses (e.g. the Realwear HMT-1), promise to provide user- and context-specific information by combining virtual and real worlds for the best possible support during the performance of work (Egger and Masood 2020). However, due to the novelty of these technologies, there is still a lack of reliable findings for their use in specific activities in production and their concrete psychological and physical effects on workers, on entire production systems and vice versa.
Factory4Future is therefore researching the use of these technologies in order to use (information-based) worker assistance systems in the future in a targeted manner according to the circumstances and requirements of the individual workers (technology acceptance, strain, skills, etc.), the activities to be carried out (assembly, order picking, monitoring, etc.) and the overall production goals. Demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers can be countered by using these technologies to reduce training times and costs, for example for unskilled or retrained employees, through on-the-job training and by making them more flexible (even across different locations). At the same time, the company increases its resistance to adaptation and competitiveness through more highly qualified employees and flexible, targeted use of technology.
Research questions:
Based on the problem and motivation outlined above, Factory4Future therefore addresses the following research questions in an interdisciplinary manner, both from an engineering pedagogical perspective, i.e. from the point of view of technology-supported learning during work, and from a behavioral economics perspective, i.e. from the point of view of behavior-oriented production and process management:
Background information on the project:
In conventional heating networks (80/60°C), the sometimes very low population density generates high annual losses of up to 30%. The "LowEx" (low losses) project aims to demonstrate a multiple low-loss heat supply network that requires significantly lower flow and return temperatures. The aim is to demonstrate the coupling of renewable energies with a year-round efficient heat supply. Heat potential from geothermal probes, solar thermal energy, waste heat from biogas plants or future hydrogen electrolysers can thus be used effectively. However, it should also be possible to feed heat from e.g. wood chip heating systems into the system. In addition, the geothermal heat on the uninsulated mains return line acts as a heat source. The heat is extracted via heat pumps of the grid users. As a result of the ongoing expansion of renewable energy systems and a lack of grid compatibility, unused surpluses from wind and PV power are likely to occur more frequently in the future, which can then at best be used to operate heat pumps on site.
This first LowEx research and development project focuses on combining this grid technology with large-scale mobile PCM storage systems. By using large mobile heat storage units, such grids can be implemented in stages, making them easier to finance and therefore also very interesting for energy cooperatives. However, due to the different fluctuating processes in waste heat output (heat sources) and heating demand in the "growing" network (heat sinks), this also presents a very challenging problem. The "LowEx" research project aims to develop a solution to this problem. To this end, waste heat sources within a maximum radius of 10-12 km are being investigated and equipped with data technology - the more, the more effective. The LowEx tool to be developed as part of the project, a digital intelligent tool, will then automatically calculate the optimum times for the storage changes and inform the truck driver in good time. This will make it possible to organize a tour effectively and keep costs low.
In future, the multiple supply network will pursue new approaches in terms of both its properties and its structure: For example, two low-loss DC voltage lines and a data cable can also be laid to make PV electricity from roofs directly usable for heat pumps, for example, and to ensure automated system communication for demands and offers.
Project objective:
The aim of this research project is to develop a sector-coupled neighborhood supply system with high energy efficiency and digital intelligence. Regional technological innovations based on scientific research play just as important a role as the amendment of the EEG 2021 or the German government's climate targets.
The development focuses on an operating system as well as digital tools and instructions that can ensure professional production, efficient operation and a supply based exclusively on renewable energies. In a follow-up project, the supply system is to be validated on the basis of at least two model projects in Lusatia, in the character of real laboratories, and a system provider is to be formed from the project participants and other stakeholders. Sustainable regional added value will be created both through investments in the application and through the supra-regional marketing of the manufacturing partners associated in the future system provider.
Background information on the project:
From laundries to steelworks, around 625 billion kilowatt hours of process heat are provided in Germany every year, a fraction of which comes from renewable energy sources. The main reason for the low proportion of renewable energy is the comparatively high temperature level required in industrial processes. While underfloor heating requires a flow temperature of around 40°C, industrial processes usually require temperatures between 100°C and 300°C. A survey conducted by Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences among companies in Lusatia revealed that around 80% of heating requirements are currently covered by fossil fuels.
Since substituting fossil fuels is proving difficult due to the high temperature levels, the use of recycled energy is the obvious choice. The necessary "Development of pressureless heat storage for the efficient use of industrial waste heat (EDWENIA)" from exhaust gases, exhaust air or steam is the subject of the research project launched in May at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The main focus is on the further technological development of two-substance storage systems. Two-material storage tanks consist of a (mineral) fill, which takes on the storage function, and a thermal oil, which is used as a heat transfer medium.
The respective advantages of the two combined storage media in different aggregate states are utilized: solids such as granite, basalt or other solid materials under investigation have a relatively high heat capacity. These also represent the cheaper component. On the other hand, thermal oils are an ideal addition, as the liquid storage medium requires a component that can also be used at temperatures above 100 °C without pressure. In this project, the approach of a hybrid sensitive heat accumulator is therefore to be pursued further, as there is still an enormous need for research with regard to the constructive as well as material, thermal and fluidic design.
Background information on the project:
Ener-STRIX addresses the need to develop energy-saving technologies for greenhouse gas-reduced manufacturing processes and products.
A key component is being developed and researched which opens up the technology of "minienvironments" for battery cell production on an industrial level. This can save energy for air conditioning and ventilation technology by up to a factor of 5 in the manufacturing process of such cells. The consortium is in a position to subsequently utilize such a component and the minienvironment technology and plans to build up the necessary capacities in Upper Lusatia.
Networked action by regional businesses will expand their unique selling points and thus enable economic growth in the important future fields:
Background information on the project:
Wind energy can be used to compensate for natural fluctuations in solar power production during the course of the day and the year. In rural areas and offshore, classic wind turbines with a horizontal axis of rotation are established and represent the optimal solution for energy generation. In contrast, wind turbines with a vertical axis of rotation are predestined for use in urban areas with limited space and higher population density. The disadvantages of this design are lower power coefficients, the non-uniform torque on the rotor axis and the lack of self-starting capability. Two different solutions are to be pursued in the project - on the one hand, the use of corrugated leading edges on the rotor blades and, on the other, active control of the angle of attack via a mechatronic system. Both variants have already demonstrated their effectiveness in preliminary studies.
A general problem with all wind turbines is their sustainable production and the recycling of materials at the end of their service life. Natural fiber-reinforced plastics represent an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of conventional composite materials made of carbon or glass fibers. One aim of the project is therefore to manufacture the rotor blades from natural fiber composites in cooperation with the LaNDER3 project (Lusatian Natural Fiber Composites - Decentralized Energy, Raw Materials, Resources, Recycling).
The project is part of the "Additive Manufacturing" and "Networked Energy Storage Systems" innovation areas of the "Life and Technology" alliance.
Aim of the project:
The aim of the LausitzWind project is to develop a sustainably manufacturable wind turbine with high performance and low acoustic emissions for use in urban areas.
Background information on the project:
What leads to the fact that the Lusatian structural change projects focus primarily on economic and technology-driven developments and that the complex target corridors of sustainability in the ecological and social dimension are weakly addressed in "Lusatia as a model region" and only a few sustainability goals (sustanaible development goals, SDG for short) are taken into account (Retkowski 2021)? How are technical-technological (TI) and social innovations (SI) separated in the vast majority of funded structural change projects in (Upper) Lusatia?
The core objective is to address and research social innovations as an essential component of regional development in Lusatia in close connection with technical innovations. Can we succeed in outlining an inclusive regional innovation strategy that addresses technical and social solution potential?
Aim of the project:
The aim is to reconstruct the significance of social innovations for economic and social development in the context of regional structural change and to identify both obstacles that limit their scope and factors that promote their success and dissemination. Building on these findings, the practical needs of social innovations that arise in the technical-economic innovation processes of sustainable energy supply in regional value chains will be identified in cooperation with the young Zittau-based company AQVA Synergy. For example, the need for skilled workers, an attractive working environment and new working models, including for women in the STEM sector, as well as stakeholder participation in technology development. In the transfer phase, the research-based knowledge on social innovations is translated into concrete instruments in line with the formulated needs. The aim is to develop an experimental procedure for linking the various innovation methods and to test it in practice.
The aim is also to strengthen the openness of regional stakeholders towards complex innovations. To this end, the practical and application cases in the region and within the WIR alliances for linking social and technical innovations are prepared for transfer through research. The aim is to develop and build up innovation skills and capabilities and to promote the (further) development of complex innovative project ideas that interlink technical-economic and socio-ecological dimensions.
Lausitz - Life & Technology is a cooperative project between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the district of Görlitz, ULT AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU.
Prof. Raj Kollmorgen is project manager of the strategy development project at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Tobias Zschunke is the spokesperson for the L&T alliance.
