AST Employee Field Trip to Schwarzkollm

This week, the 2026 staff field trip took place, taking a group of over 30 employees from the Chair to Schwarzkollm in Upper Lusatia.

The destination was deliberately chosen, as the Smart Mobility Lab - a new research center set to be built here near Hoyerswerda by the end of 2026 - is currently under construction. With its extensive laboratory, office, and workshop facilities - and, in particular, its central, very large test hall - this unique research infrastructure offers exceptional opportunities for research into the mobility of the future.

Our Chair, with Professor Herlitzius serving as Principal Investigator, is centrally integrated into the Smart Mobility Lab, so our staff members are also expected to work here in the future.

© TUD/AST

It therefore made sense to get a first glimpse of the new facility now as part of the staff field trip. Tobias Zschieschick, the SML coordinator, explained the details of the planned research facility in an introductory presentation and then gave a guided tour to showcase the new premises and facilities.

© TUD/AST

During the  group photo on the roof of the SML, the excursion’s next destination was already visible in the distance - the Krabat Mill in Schwarzkollm. The visit to this cultural tourist center not only offered insights into the folklore of Upper Lusatia surrounding the miller’s apprentice Krabat but also provided interesting facts about the historical milling technology on display - which, in a modernized form, still represents the downstream processing chain in grain harvesting today.

© TUD/AST

Thus, this year’s staff excursion not only bridged the gap between historical natural material processing and future-oriented research but also provided numerous opportunities for exchange among the staff of the Chair.