The German Research Foundation (DFG) has granted a new project for the professorship titled "Linking Approximate Dynamic Programming, Predictive Control, and Dissipativity: Novel Adaptive Control Approaches for Nonlinear Systems". This project explores new approaches to adaptive control of nonlinear systems linking Adaptive Dynamic Programming, a technique from reinforcement learning to solve optimal control problems, Model Predictive Control, and dissipativity, which can be interpreted as a generalization of energy conservation in the context of dynamical systems. This project aims to combine the advantages of these techniques for adaptive control of nonlinear systems to compensate for model error and improve closed-loop performance. This research is carried out in cooperation with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Timm Faulwasser from the Hamburg University of Technology.

Prof. Greg Caporaso (Northern Arizona University ) will give a talk on Closing the Loop: Microbiome Data Science and Off-Earth Composting at 04:00 pm online. Everybody is heartily invited. All past and future seminars can be found here.

The paper titled "Drought Stress Detection via Image Recognition in Lettuce Plants" has been selected as a Best Poster Finalist at the 15th International Conference on Pattern Recognition Applications and Methods (ICPRAM 2026), which will take place in Spain from March 2–4, 2026.
ICPRAM 2026 is a leading international forum for researchers and practitioners in Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning. The study presents an intelligent image-based method for detecting drought stress in indoor lettuce production, supporting the development of precise, scalable, and automated quality control systems in controlled-environment agriculture. The research was carried out within the SensCEA project, in which the ACSD professorship has been actively involved for the past two years, and the project provided funding for this study.
This recognition highlights the scientific relevance and practical impact of our research, and we look forward to presenting our work at ICPRAM 2026.

Prof. Cleotilde Gonzalez (Carnegie Mellon University) will give a talk on Designing Complementary Intelligence: Cognitive Foundations for Human–AI Teaming at 02:00 pm online. Everybody is heartily invited. All past and future seminars can be found here.

As the year draws to a close, we look back on productive 12 months. Our mission is to bridge the gap between rigorous mathematical method development and solving real-world challenges. A look at our 2025 publication list reflects exactly this diversity: We focused intensively on how Advanced Control, AI, and Optimization can serve as key technologies for a sustainable bioeconomy. From efficient process management in greenhouses to microalgae cultivation – we are working to make biotechnological systems more robust and efficient, without losing sight of the theoretical foundations.

We are proud to have successfully placed 23 scientific contributions this year: 19 Journal Articles, 3 Conference Proceedings, 1 Book Chapter.
Additionally, 6 more papers are currently under review – a promising outlook for the coming year!

Highlights 2025:

• Theory: New approaches to Lyapunov stability, Moving Horizon Estimation, and nonlinear observers.
• Bioeconomy & Agritech: Model-based control for vertical farming, Deep RL in greenhouses, and optimization of microalgae biomass production.

On December 11, 2025, 15 students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Chemnitz University of Technology visited the Festo Experience Center in Chemnitz. During the trip, they explored the world of automation technology, gaining hands-on insights into modern pneumatic and electrical drive solutions. Interactive tours and innovative workshops helped them connect their academic knowledge with real-world applications. Further information can be found in this press release.

Our team member Patrick Schmidt has successfully defended his dissertation with the title Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems under Measurement Errors using Smooth and Nonsmooth Control Lyapunov Functions.

Prof. Streif joins the Association of Vertical Farming (AVF) Scientific Advisory Board to optimize complex systems and strengthen AVF's role in science and build a bridge to industry. The AVF mentioned his outstanding expertise in the field of AI and digital modeling along with other significant achievements. More information can be found in this press release.

The "Towards NewFoodSystems" conference brought together around 300 participants from business, science, and politics in Berlin to discuss new nutrition and food systems. The ACSD professorship has been actively working for about two years in the BMFTR-funded NewFoodSystems innovation space on the development of algae-based foods (see the ENABLE project) and contributed two presentations and two poster presentations from ongoing research to the conference. We are pleased that our contribution entitled AI-based Computer Vision for advanced modeling and monitoring of microalgae cultivation was awarded the poster prize for "Innovative Research".