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Fakultät Bio- und Chemieingenieurwesen

APT @ 2. AUFBRUCH Winterschool

Group picture of innovation area 1 © Klara Krämer-Klement​/​RWTH Aachen
Lutz Gerkensmeier discusses at his poster © Klara Krämer-Klement​/​RWTH Aachen
From October 27 to 29, 2025, the second AUFBRUCH Winter School took place at Haus Overbach in Jülich. The graduate cluster AUFBRUCH brings together doctoral researchers and principal investigators from various disciplines to advance industrial transformation in the Rhenish mining area. Representing the Laboratory of Plant and Process Design (APT), Lutz Gerkensmeier participated in this year’s event.

The first two days focused on the entrepreneurial potential of scientific research. In a soft skills workshop organized by Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES), participants learned how to translate research results into viable business ideas and start-ups. Complementing this, the Revier Challenge encouraged participants to develop case studies related to the structural transformation of the Rhenish mining area, again with a focus on innovation and start-up creation. 

On the third day, the Principal Investigators joined the PhD researchers for a scientific colloquium. A series of talks, including one session titled “A crazy outlook for the future”, provided thought-provoking insights into the future of the bioeconomy. During the poster session, Lutz Gerkensmeier presented his research on the use of suspension melt crystallization for the concentration of aqueous reaction mixtures. Engaging discussions and constructive feedback from other researchers and PIs offered valuable perspectives for the further development of his work. 

The event once again demonstrated the interdisciplinary spirit of the AUFBRUCH cluster and its commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability in the context of regional transformation.