tarting in the winter semester of 2024/2025, the second round of the Connected Community (CC) at TU Dresden will launch under the title "AGILE IN BIOMECHANICS," this time from the field of engineering, specifically the Institute of Materials Science. The Connected Community is led by Dr. Benjamin Kruppke and Prof. Hans-Peter Wiesmann. Its goal is to involve students in research projects that address current societal challenges in a hands-on way. As part of this, solutions will be developed for problems such as implant loosening. Agile methods, such as Scrum, will be used to train students in flexible and efficient work processes.

The Connected Community is open not only to students from TU Dresden but also to students from the European institutions of the participating researchers. These students collaborate on specific issues within the community and contribute their expertise to interdisciplinary projects, fostering international exchange, where all participants benefit from the different perspectives and experiences.

Each Connected Community has a life cycle of three years. In the first two years, it goes through the so-called incubation phase, during which the planned teaching and learning concept is implemented and tested. During this phase, experiences are continuously reviewed to further optimize the program. The goal is to integrate the Connected Community into the curriculum in the long term.

The project benefits from close collaboration with renowned partners from across Europe, including Maurizio Busacca (UNVEN), Richard King (UW), Arnab Palit (UW), Bulcsú Sándor (UBB), Zoltán Bálint (UBB), and Bart Jansen (VUB). The participating students from the 8th and 9th semesters of the mentioned universities work in interdisciplinary teams, utilizing cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure and expertise from various research fields.

The focus is on practical product development that considers both academic excellence and real market demands. The program prepares students optimally for future challenges in engineering and materials science while aiming for significant advancements in biomedical technology. The second round of the Connected Community once again offers participants the opportunity to further develop their skills in an international and interdisciplinary environment.