News from the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics

Advent is the time for our Christmas party every year. This December, we gathered in an inviting and cozy atmosphere. Good food, relaxed conversations with colleagues, and secret Santa gifts created a cheerful mood. Full of surprises and coincidences, the little packages happily changed owners during several rounds of dice rolling. Candle holders, ice bears, mini vacuum cleaners, and cookie tins are now moving into new homes to bring joy :). We wish everyone a happy Christmas and restful holidays!

Tuan-anh Tran from the University of Pannonia presented his research work as part of a research seminar. His work focuses on the topic of workload. Excessive work demands and work content are the main causes of high workloads and stress, which have a negative impact on performance and well-being. The study proposes a framework that uses intensity metrics, based on acceleration and heart rate, to monitor physical kinematics and physiological responses. The aim is to apply the results in production environments and thus promote the long-term health of workers.

A large portion of any transformation process is spent in movement. Products need to be moved from one station to the next, patients from one treatment to the next, and everybody expects everything to get delivered home as fast possible (for free). How this can be realized using automated systems is a major aspect of intralogistics. It is a consequently pleasure to be part of the Scientific Society for Technical Logistics, which is one of the major associations in this area. Being part of the group offers opportunities for joint research and collaboration. This year’s conference at Karlsruhe brought many interesting discussions, including about our paper on beer logistics.

As part of his master's exchange at TU Chemnitz, Michael – a master student from Stellenbosch University (South Africa) – hosted and facilitated a hands-on Lean Management workshop developed by the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics. The workshop engaged students in practical manufacturing scenarios while simultaneously generating data to analyze the use of Motion-Mining technology in lean contexts. Initial findings suggest that advanced lean methods may benefit from such digital tools. A joint study is underway to consolidate insights and explore new pathways for process optimization.

Being elected on the EurOMA board is a special honor. During the three-year term, we will focus on further extending the network, fostering young talent, and providing solutions for a changing and challenging world. The European Operations Management Association is arguably the leading association in Operations Management in Europe. Although based in Europe, EurOMA is a truly global community that allows members to exchange ideas, knowledge and experience. As part of this, we were also proud to host the EurOMA Central and Eastern European (CEE) Research Network Workshop in 2025.

It is a pleasure to welcome Thais Moreira at the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics. Thais is a PhD student at the Federal University of Sao Carlos in Brazil, with which a memorandum of understanding was recently signed. There exists close cooperation between the Chair and Sao Carlos. As part of a CAPES funded research visit, Thais will work during the next 9 month on social media, sustainability and how communication can lead to sustainable actions. If you want to know more just reach out to her to connect.

We learned new things while chatting over research, academia and the meaning of live at the 5th EurOMA Central and Eastern European (CEE) Research Network Workshop. Held in Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025, EurOMA CEE brought together researchers and practitioners from the region. The conference focused on scientific presentations and the development of research activities. There was also a tour of the Experimental and Digital Factory at the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics. Keynotes by Dmitry Ivanov and Ivan Tomašević brought new insights on resilience, digital twin and the challenges of clinical trial start-ups.

We were honored that the application of being a fellow in the European Academy for Industrial Management (AIM) was granted at the 47th AIM Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland. AIM pursues to be the leading European Academy developing and promoting education and research in the field of Industrial Engineering and Management (IE&M). Making part of this community, the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics seeks to contribute by advancing joint project applications, innovative teaching approaches and interesting research.