Annual Meeting 2025: Three Days of Exchange, Insights, and Future Perspectives
This year, TU Braunschweig hosted the SynTrac Annual Meeting which took place at Hofjäger 36, an inspiring workspace that provided the perfect setting for three days of intensive presentations, lively poster sessions, and vibrant interdisciplinary exchange.
Across three consecutive sessions, the sub-projects A – Assessment, B – Integration, and C – Physical Processes presented their current results and ongoing collaborations. All attending researchers actively contributed to the discussions and offered valuable feedback. The dynamically designed poster sessions of each sub-project fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue, ranging from in-depth methodological discussions to open exchanges with colleagues and members of the Advisory Board.
Photo: SynTrac
In addition, project leads from each sub-project moderated joint Interactive Sessions, during which the entire team worked together on consolidating a baseline for the next project phase. The sessions focused on Insights, Challenges, and the Outlook beyond the current timeline. The intensive, cross-disciplinary discussions proved highly valuable: collective reflection and the diverse perspectives from different fields sharpened key questions and provided strategic impulses for the upcoming phase of the project.
Representatives of the Advisory Board played an essential role in taking stock of the project’s progress and refining future perspectives. Cameron Tropea, Cord Rossow, and Daniel Reckzeh raised thought-provoking, strategic questions, engaged in individual discussions with researchers, and enriched the meeting with constructive contributions throughout. In his absence, Dr. Schaber (MTU) was acknowledged for his previous input and committed involvement, as the project leadership announced a change regarding MTU’s representation on the Advisory Board.
Photo: SynTrac
Interdisciplinary collaboration, the researchers’ enthusiasm for their topics, and the quality of the scientific contributions were repeatedly highlighted. At the same time, the Advisory Board fulfilled its essential role: critically reflecting developments, clarifying uncertainties, offering fresh impulses, and maintaining a clear focus on the bigger picture, including relevant stakeholders.
Photo: SynTrac
Beyond the scientific sessions, additional program elements enriched the meeting and opened up new perspectives. Complementing the research agenda, these activities added both intellectual and atmospheric depth to the event.
Participants interested in hands-on insights were invited to explore the laboratory facilities of the SynTrac partner institutes at TU Braunschweig. The tours provided vivid examples of what distinguishes the research environment at TU Braunschweig and how its research trajectory is implemented and advanced in practice.
Photo: SynTrac
During the final evening’s joint dinner, Professor Christian Kehrt, Chair of the History of Science and Technology at TU Braunschweig, delivered an engaging and informative dinner talk. He offered fascinating insights into the role of Braunschweig, particularly its research airport, as a central hub for aeronautics and space research since the First World War. It was an inspiring look back into the past for a project dedicated to shaping the future.
As a given at every Annual Meeting, the event concluded with dedicated gatherings of the project leaders as well as the doctoral researchers, offering space to reflect on the past days and to jointly look ahead to the coming year.
