German–Polish Bridge Building
Delegation from Opole as a guest at the Technische Universität Chemnitz - Appointment of Prof. Dr. Marek Tukiendorf to the Excellence Council of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE
Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of the Technische Universität Chemnitz, along with Prof. Dr. Lothar Kroll, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, greeted guests from the Polish city of Opole on the 7th of May 2015, in order to speak about intensifying the collaboration of the TU Chemnitz with the Opole University of Technology. Alongside the Rector of the TU Opole, Prof. Dr. Marek Tukien-dorf, representatives of the city of Opole, the Opole Science and Technology Park and the city of Chemnitz also participated.
The event was opened with a shared networking lunch, during which Prof. Tukiendorf was appointed to the Excellence Council of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE by the Rector of the TU Chem-nitz. From now on, he advises the Cluster concerning its strategic development and contributes to the advancement of the national and international visibility of the Cluster through his competence, experience and charisma.
Finally, a conference took place in the Start-Up Building “TechnoPark Chemnitz” on the Technology Campus, where Prof. Kroll presented the research of the TU Chemnitz’s Institute for Lightweight Con-struction, the affiliated Institute Cetex and the Fraunhofer Synthetic Material Centre Oberlausitz. Further presentations about the Technopark, the Cluster of Excellence MERGE and its internationali-sation made it clear how well-connectedly the TU Chemnitz operates. As a result, concrete agree-ments regarding the deepening collaboration among both technical universities, the cities and the technology centres across national borders were struck.
A further coordination emphasis between both universities was the 1st Polish-German Bridge Con-ference, which took place in Opole from the 7th through the 8th of April and was led by the guiding themes of “Advanced Manufacturing Technologies” and “Advanced Materials and Systems”. This conference serves to build a German-Polish bridge between research and industry and has the gen-eration of combined EU-Projects as a goal. The initiators and organisers are pleased that this event was opened with welcoming addresses from the Saxon State Premier Stanislav Tillich as well as the Opole and Lower Silesian Marshal.
A tour through the Technology Halls of the Institute for Lightweight Construction and of the newly formed MERGE Technology Centre rounded out the meeting.
(Authors: Dr. Isabelle Roth and Elisa Sommer, Translation: Sarah Wilson)
Mario Steinebach
27.05.2015