Topping-Out Ceremony for the Smart Mobility Lab

On October 15, 2025, TU Dresden celebrated the topping-out ceremony for the Smart Mobility Lab (SML) in Hoyerswerda–Schwarzkollm. Among the guests were Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer and TU Dresden’s Rector Prof. Ursula M. Staudinger, who emphasized the project’s significance for innovation and structural transformation in the Lusatia region. The core driving and flight test hall of the future research campus has reached shell completion; interior fit-out will continue through the end of 2026, with research operations scheduled to begin in 2027. The project foresees investments exceeding €86 million and the creation of more than 300 jobs.

As the project’s spokesperson, Prof. Günther Prokop outlined the next milestones in his address and highlighted the research domains the SML will bring together. Alongside five additional Principal Investigators, he stands for the campus’s interdisciplinary orientation—spanning road and air transport, robotics, as well as software and networked systems. Close collaboration among several professorships—including Automotive Engineering, Air Transport Technology and Logistics, Software Technology, Networked Systems Modeling, Agricultural Engineering, and Mobility Systems Planning—lays the foundation for jointly researching automated and connected transport and rapidly translating results into real-world applications.

At the heart of the SML are large-scale, combinable test environments: a column-free test hall of roughly 100 × 100 meters with generous clear height; outdoor areas including driving and landing zones; and specialized laboratories (e.g., climate and EMC facilities). A particular focus is a suite of interconnected simulators—including the Dresden Driving Simulator—which, together with real-world trials, enables scenario-based development and validation. The SML will become the new home of the Dresden Driving Simulator and additional simulators, all integrated into a cyber-physical testing environment.

The Chair of Automotive Engineering contributes proven strengths in model-, data-, and scenario-based simulation and verification methods—ranging from vehicle dynamics and ride comfort simulation, through HMI/human-factors studies, to the validation of ADAS/automated driving functions. In combination with the test benches and digital development processes of TU Dresden’s Vehicle Testing Center (FVZ), this creates unique research opportunities: simulation and high-precision experimentation interlock seamlessly, allowing results to scale from HiL/SiL setups via the simulator to on-road trials.

The broad participation of academia, policymakers, and regional stakeholders at the ceremony—with contributions from the Minister President, the Rector, representatives of the city and district, and the project leadership—underscores a shared ambition: In Schwarzkollm, a Europe-focused research platform is emerging where TU Dresden and its partners will develop, test, and transfer the mobility solutions of the future.