X-Garden at the Future Days Hirschfelde 2026

On 29 May 2026, the Future Days took place in Hirschfelde, a cross-border event between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, organized by the association Zukunft Hirschfelde e. V. in cooperation with Vice-Rector Prof. Sophia Keil and the team of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) at TU Dresden participated with its own exhibition pavillon as part of the Interreg project X-Garden (“Cross-border Experimental Gardens”). The project establishes extracurricular learning spaces in the German-Polish border region where children and young people can experience STEM topics in a hands-on and playful way.

More than 450 pupils from grades two to ten from Saxony and Poland visited the X-Garden pavillon throughout the day. The ILK provided four interactive stations offering insights into two closely interconnected fields of engineering: sustainable plastics processing and modern lightweight engineering and aerospace technology. The activities invited participants to explore technical principles through hands-on experimentation.

The four stations at a glance

1. Circular Factory with Holimaker
At this station, children and teenager experienced how new polymer components can be produced from thermoplastic recyclate. Using the Holimaker, a compact injection moulding system designed for educational purposes, the recycling loop was made tangible, from granulate to finished part.

2. Plastic Separation & Carbon Equivalent
Using the sink-float separation method, the pupils separated different types of plastics based on their density. In addition, the carbon equivalent (material amount for 1 t of carbon) was illustrated as a measure of the CO₂ emissions associated with the production of materials. This demonstrated fundamental relationships between material separation, resource use, sustainability, and the circular economy.

3. AeroLab – The Flight Laboratory
What keeps an aircraft in the air? In the AeroLab, the children explored this question using a 3D-printed wind tunnel and a 3D-printed model aircraft. The focus was on the fundamental principles of aerodynamics. They learned how lift is generated, why the centre of gravity is crucial, and how modern aviation works.

4. Materials Station
At the materials station, lightweight engineering became tangible. Using a mobile three-point bending test rig, the pupils tested the strength of different materials. A 3D printer produced small model aircraft on site, while infill, composite and sandwich structure demonstrators illustrated the principles of modern lightweight design.

Great enthusiasm across borders

The cross-border character is at the heart of X-Garden: children from Saxony and Poland worked side by side, exchanged ideas and experienced that science and engineering transcend language barriers. For ILK, this provided an opportunity to introduce young people from both countries to forward-looking topics in lightweight engineering, materials science and recycling, and to foster early interest in STEM-related careers.

Outlook: AeroLab Summer Camp in Bautzen

Those interested will soon have another opportunity to dive deeper into the world of aviation: from 26 July to 2 August 2026, the X-Garden AeroLab – Vol. 2 summer camp for future aviation pioneers will take place in Bautzen under the motto “Design. Build. Fly.”.

Participants can expect a week of hands-on activities, including a gadget workshop, the design and assembly of their own flying objects, and flight excursions. Participation is free of charge.

The camp is organised jointly with the University of Zielona Góra (Uniwersytet Zielonogórski) within the X-Garden project and represents another building block of cross-border STEM education.

Further information and registration: AeroLab X-Garden Vol. 2 “Design. Build. Fly.”

The Future Days Hirschfelde 2026 demonstrated how the Interreg project X-Garden connects education, sustainability and cross-border cooperation. ILK thanks Zukunft Hirschfelde e. V., the team of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and all partners for the organisation and collaboration.