Blog Archive

MERGE will take part in the JEC Europe 2013. The biggest composites exhibition in Europe and in the world takes place in Paris from the 12th to 14th March 2013. For the first time the Cluster of Excellence MERGE will be represented at an exhibition for more international visibility and to promote the International Conference MERGE Technologies – ICMT, which will be held in October 2013 in Chemnitz. At the JEC, you can visit us daily from 9am to 6pm at the booth of Saxony (No T66). For further information about the exhibition, please visit JEC Europe Composites Show We’re looking forward seeing you!

The leader of the clusters´ six Interacting Research Domains, the Rector of the Chemnitz University of Technology, the representatives of industrial and scientific partners as well as the Mayor of Chemnitz announced the start of the German Federal Cluster of Excellence “MERGE”. During the ceremony on 30th January 2013 the Mayors Ms. Barbara Ludwig and the Rector Professor Arnold van Zyl pointed out that this Cluster, coordinated by Professor Kroll, is a unique platform for future-oriented and technology-driven top-level research on multifunctional lightweight structures. “Our Launch Event sets the appropriate frame for new researchers to get in touch with their colleagues from other research institutions and to meet the partners from the industry”, said Kroll after a successful Launch Event. Furthermore videos of regional TV broadcasts: MDR Sachsenspiegel SACHSEN FERNSEHEN

On 30th January 2013 the Coordinator of the Cluster, Professor Lothar Kroll, officially launches the German Federal Cluster of Excellence “Merge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures”. The ceremony will take place at “Pumpwerk eins” in Chemnitz and welcomes guests from science, industry and politics as well as members of the German Research Foundation and university management. Central focus will be the presentation of the leaders of the Interacting Research Domains (IRD) following the keynote speech of Dr. Armin Plath from Volkswagen. Kroll says he is “looking forward to his presentation about the competitive advantages which are based largely on material systems and technologies for lightweight constructions in automotive applications. Insofar our guests have the unique chance to learn more about our Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE and get together with the researchers of the IRDs.” Therefore all hired researchers, PhD students and scientific assistants working in the Cluster will participate for the idea exchange and networking within the Cluster MERGE.

As a new employee of the Cluster of Excellence we welcome Rita Fuchs. Since the 1st of January 2013 Ms. Fuchs will be responsible for the project controlling of MERGE. Following her studies in the field of business administration at Chemnitz University of Technology she worked on several years at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg. In the resent past she coordinated an educational project at the chamber of trade Chemnitz. At the Cluster of Excellence Ms. Fuchs will be the contact for all questions relating to finance and accounting.

The Cluster of Excellence MERGE is a prime example for an interdisciplinary research project at the Chemnitz University of Technology. With the resolution of the University Management and the Senate in the framework of the Saxon University Act part 3, § 92 a new central facility as a university institution will be established. This MERGE Institution will be coordinated by the Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar Kroll. The central facility enables a multidisciplinary cooperation in the fields of research and education across the faculties and institutes and is supervised by the Central Management of the Chemnitz University of Technology.

The Cluster of Excellence representatives Jürgen Tröltzsch, Chief Operating Officer of MERGE and Katarina Weiß, Head of Marketing and Public Relations were part of the radio show “MINToskop – Science and Technology from Chemnitz and around the world”. The show host Marius Feldmann asked them in his latest issue about the Cluster of Excellence and what MERGE does stand for and which role it will have within the Chemnitz University of Technology. Further questions regarding to a future outlook and the expected results during the first five year of funding were answered by the two members of the central management. The complete broadcast is available by November 23, 2012 by visiting the following Website and it will be part of a podcast series of “MINToskop”.

As the newly appointed president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Reimund Neugebauer is now responsible for one of the largest scientific institutions in Germany, his successor in the MERGE-Steering Committee will be PD Dr. Ing. Welf-Guntram Drossel. After his many years of experience as a leader at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology Drossel is the temporary leader since October 2012 and he is representing it within the interdisciplinary research field IRD B. Being of prime importance the IRD plays a decisive role of metal intensive technologies to join with polymers as well as with fibre-reinforced materials and to develop processing technologies.

For his future tasks Prof. Lothar Kroll, CEO of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE, wishes Prof. Reimund Neugebauer good luck and Kroll is looking forward to further cooperation and support from Munich. Prof. Reimund Neugebauer played an important role to establish Chemnitz as a place of excellent science and research activities. Without him the chances to get the funding of the DFG for the MERGE Cluster of Excellence tended to be significantly lower.

Very special thanks have to be expressed for the personal engagement of Neugebauer during the expert assessment of the Cluster. Neugebauer stays part of this Cluster and moves on to the Excellence Council, which represents MERGE among the circles of scientists and politics. Furthermore the members of the Excellence Council consult in terms of the strategic direction and relating issues. Besides the Rector and the Chancellor of the Chemnitz University of Technology, further prominent people from science and politics join the Excellence Council.

The cluster of Excellence MERGE will use the opportunities offered by the social media for exchanging news and achievements within the research areas. Professors, scientists and employees of the Cluster are able to communicate and promote information about research results, job posts, events or conferences. Therefore the Cluster participates from the CUT social media channels and from the career service of the university. The first two facebook posts can be read on:
https://www.facebook.com/...
https://www.facebook.com/...

The Nature journal has published a special spotlight on Germany in its issue of 26th July 2012 to show the international competitiveness of the academic institutions and the economy of the research location of Germany. In addition the journal presents high-level research, innovation, research and execution "€œMade in Germany with Quality from Germany".

In terms of the Excellence Initiative, funded by the German federal and state governments since 2005 under the responsibility of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Nature journal published a profile of the Chemnitz University of Technology (CUT) and a feature of its Cluster of Excellence "€œMerge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures (MERGE)".

The coordinator of the Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Lothar Kroll, said "€œI appreciate this international appearance of the MERGE-Cluster and the CUT in the Nature. We also make use of the feature "€˜naturejobs.com"™, where international scientific applicants can find job offers for academic positions in high-level research projects."

To read the published article about the CUT and the Cluster of Excellence MERGE and search trough the job offers please follow the link:
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/profiles/17-Chemnitz-University-of-Technology

On August 29th, 2012 all representatives of the Steering Committee and the Chancellor of the university got together for talks about fundamental goals and structures. How to handle the government budget reduction was one of the main topics. As a result it has been decided that all positions for researchers and scientists will be secured and the budget gap will be closed by central budget of the university, reduced instrumentation and material costs. The members of the committee appointed Jürgen Tröltzsch, who was mainly involved in the project proposal, as Chief Operating Officer of the Chemnitz cluster. Within the next months young scientists will be hired and the MERGE operating office will be established.

Chemnitz University of Technology was successful in the second phase of the German Excellence Initiative! Following evaluation and discussion of the international reviewer group and DFG-appointed Expert Commission, the Excellence Initiative Grants Committee decided on Friday, 15 June 2012, to support the Cluster of Excellence "Merge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures - MERGE".

The Cluster MERGE is the only Cluster in the field of forward-looking key enabling technologies for lightweight structures. More than 20 institutes and 38 participating researchers will work together in this technology area. With its decision the German Research Foundation and German Science Council highlight the significance and necessity of enhancement of resource and energy efficiency for future technological and product developments.

The Cluster of Excellence MERGE will bundle the research expertise in the fields of interacting key technologies for lightweight structures which offer outstanding innovation and growth potential. Manufacturing processes that are currently discrete for different groups of materials such as metals, plastics or textiles have to be merged through fusion and interlinking, to develop continuous large-scale technologies.