PTS as an affiliated institute of the Dresden University of Technology: Networking and exchange at the "Welcome Day"

In addition to the intensive cooperation already underway, PTS invited professors, professors and research assistants from Dresden University of Technology, with the support of Prof. Dr. Beckmann (Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Dresden University of Technology), to a "Welcome Day" at the beginning of February. As a new affiliated institute of the Technical University of Dresden, the aim was to introduce the research institute in Heidenau and to provide an insight into the technical portfolio, the accredited laboratories, pilot plants and other infrastructural possibilities of PTS.

The "Welcome Day" was opened in the pilot plant by PTS Chairman Dr Thorsten Voß and Business Unit Manager Dr Martin Zahel. Afterwards, four PTS experts gave an overview of the comprehensive research activities and demonstrated the diverse fields of application of the paper technology platform and fibre-based materials in an entertaining and project-related manner.

The topics "Paper as a lightweight material" by Benjamin Hiller (Project Manager Materials Testing & Analytics), "Paper-based material developments for hydrogen technologies" by Michael Rentzsch (Head of Department Functional Materials), "Circular value creation using the example of fibre-based materials" by Lydia Tempel (Business Unit Manager Smart & Circular Solutions) and the bachelor thesis "Investigation of the recyclability of packaging papers with bio-based barrier coatings" by Tilmann Priebe were followed with interest by the guests.

After the presentations, the 22 participants from the Technical University of Dresden took the opportunity to talk intensively with the PTS team and to go deeper into the technical exchange during the guided tour of the pilot plants and the laboratories. During the tour, the paper machine was presented in more detail by pilot plant manager Steffen Schramm, the coating plant by Dr Marcel Haft and Ina Greiffenberg, the extruder by Dr Martin Zahel and the materials testing laboratories by Dr Antje Harling, Dr Birgit Lutsch and Katrin Kühnöl.

The "Welcome Day" helped to further promote networking and exchange between the two partners and thus intensify future cooperation. In addition to the planned joint research activities, both partners are focusing on the stringent promotion and training of young people in order to be able to attract numerous students from various disciplines as potential specialists for the paper industry.

What is an An-Institute?

An-Institutes are legally independent institutions which, together with TU Dresden, perform tasks that can significantly strengthen the research possibilities of TU Dresden (see § 95 SächsHSFG). The intensive cooperation with TU Dresden is regulated by contractual agreements which also grant the status of an affiliated institute of TU Dresden.

Tasks of an An-Institute:

• basic and applied subject-related research and development work
• further education
• training and further education of young academics
• broad transfer of knowledge