A Region in Transition—and on the Rise
Lusatia is in the midst of structural change. The phase-out of coal-fired power generation is forcing companies to reinvent themselves while retaining skilled workers who are in high demand elsewhere. This is exactly where the PerspektiveArbeit Lausitz (PAL) project comes in. Ergonomics experts from five universities in Saxony and Brandenburg, including the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), have joined forces with about two dozen companies and associations to develop and test data-driven assistance systems directly in real-world business settings. The stated goal: to make work in the region more efficient, healthier, and more attractive—without losing sight of the people who do this work.
For five years, industry professionals and researchers worked side by side on twelve practical projects—not at the drawing board, but directly in the production facilities and at the workstations of the participating companies. This has resulted in very concrete solutions: dashboards that make production data tangible for decision-making, systems that preserve the experiential knowledge of seasoned employees before it is lost when they retire, and assistive technology that reduces the physical strain of demanding jobs.
Digital Transformation Takes Shape
After nearly five years of project work, PAL is now taking stock and invites you to join the event live. On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg will open its doors in the Central Lecture Hall Building for the knowledge transfer event “Intelligent Assistance in the Workplace of the Future.” From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., practitioners, researchers, and policymakers will come together for a program that goes far beyond traditional academic presentations.
The event kicks off with a first-hand insight from the field: Jane Ludwig from Grötschel GmbH, a Cottbus-based manufacturer of special-purpose equipment and machinery, will report on what the collaboration between industry and research in the real-world lab actually feels like—including all the opportunities and challenges that such a transformation entails. This will be followed by an interactive panel discussion, moderated by Katrin Meusinger (Silicon Saxony e. V.), bringing together voices from business, labor unions, and academia: Participants include Matthias Loehr from the DGB, Prof. Julia Zähr from Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, as well as representatives from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and uesa GmbH. The focus will be on the question of which initiatives from PAL are truly sustainable for the working environments in Net Zero Valley Lausitz.
Hands-on instead of just listening: The exhibition in the real-world lab
The real highlight of the event is the afternoon program. From 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the lecture hall building will be transformed into a live exhibition where visitors can not only watch but also directly experience concrete use cases. At the booths, companies such as HQM Tubes, voestalpine Wire Germany, Trumpf Sachsen, and the Cottbus-based firm caleg Schrank und Gehäusebau will demonstrate how abstract concepts like “assistance systems” or “cobots” can be transformed into real-world tools for everyday operations. Topics range from automated data provision in dashboards and the digital preservation of experiential knowledge to ergonomic, employee-friendly workplace design and systems for the intuitive use of collaborative robots in manufacturing. A food truck will be on hand to provide refreshments. Networking is explicitly encouraged to take place in an informal setting.
To wrap up the day, PAL looks ahead: Prof. Leif Goldhahn (Mittweida University of Applied Sciences) and Sylvia Franke-Jordan (TU Dresden) will present the next steps, including the newly founded PAL Association, which is intended to sustain the network and the developed solutions even beyond the funding period.
Why the trip to Cottbus is worth it
For small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, the event is more than just a glimpse into the future. It is a rare opportunity to engage directly with companies that have already completed their digital transformation or are currently in the midst of it. Anyone considering introducing ergonomic assistance systems, cobots, or dashboards will meet practitioners here who have already taken exactly this path.
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Central Lecture Hall Building, Platz der Deutschen Einheit 1, 03046 Cottbus
Registration and information: pal-lausitz.de/events/pal-abschlussveranstaltung-intelligente-assistenz-am-arbeitsplatz-der-zukunft
Participation is free of charge.
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Further Links
👉 www.b-tu.de
Photo: BTU / Sascha Thor
