Universities in Leipzig: Conferences on Campus

Digital timber construction is the focus of the EASTWOOD congress at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig). Wood will be at the centre of attention as a sustainable and versatile material for climate-friendly, energy- and resource-efficient construction. The EASTWOOD congress wants nothing less than to create a network to accelerate the development of building with wood. The conference was held for the third time in autumn 2023. It brought together experts from architecture, engineering, construction, timber construction, carpentry, science and research, as well as representatives of the timber trade, building owners and investors. For the FLEX research group, led by initiator Alexander Stahr, Professor of Structural Design at the HTWK, there is a clear focus on networking and collaboration for modern timber construction. These efforts have met with great interest from the business community. Most recently, 25 regional and national companies appeared at the conference.
 
Saxony and Leipzig are ideally placed to host EASTWOOD: In its coalition agreement, the Saxon state government pledged to promote modern timber construction in Saxony, recognising it as a future field of innovation and a driver of regional value creation.
Saxony’s timber construction initiative promotes the use of wood in building projects and aims to increase the demand for wood in the Free State. In 2022, a special Saxon competence centre for timber construction started work. Research at the HTWK is contributing to these common goals: the university has a strong reputation in the field of digital timber construction. Its applied timber construction research has already yielded a number of innovations.
The foundation stone for the HTWK’s new timber construction research centre, the HolzBauForschungsZentrum, was laid in spring 2024. This will create a state-of-the-art research centre in Leipzig for the research and development of production processes for timber construction. Last but not least, Leipzig as a conference destination offers the perfect conditions for EASTWOOD. These include ease of access and hosting expertise for conference guests as well as the best conditions for the conference to continue to grow.

These three events convey a first impression of how dynamic Leipzig is as a centre of science. Basic and applied research addresses the big questions of our time and ideas for a future worth living. Scientific conferences support the transfer of knowledge and technology, for example through the combination of conference programmes and exhibiting companies. After all, excellent research is always linked to the question of transfer. How can valuable insights be made accessible and exploited? How can science and the business world enter into a dialogue?

Leipzig’s visibility and targeted networking at conferences and congresses also benefit spin-offs and start-ups from its educational institutions. And don’t forget: when it comes to interesting conferences, it is also worth taking a look at Lancaster University Leipzig, the first British university campus in Germany, the Mediencampus Villa Ida, and the city’s many other higher education and research institutions. This impressive diversity of topics and players is what makes Leipzig such an exciting and attractive conference destination.