Sustainable Digitalization and Fluid Systems in the Alps: FST at Successful Retreat in Kleinwalsertal

Last week, the FST team embarked on a retreat amidst the mountain panorama of the Kleinwalsertal. The meeting provided the perfect opportunity for the planning of our institute's future development. Particularly, the advancement of our teaching methods for the upcoming semesters was focused on. In this context, we discussed the design of the new lab course “Praktikum Digitalisierung”, which will be offered to 5th-semester mechanical engineering students in the upcoming winter semester. The goal of this hands-on course is to provide students with a deeper insight into digitized research and equip them with tools for sustainable handling of research data. These skills lay a solid foundation for digital engineering in the 21st century, both in the academic and industrial environments.

In addition to productive work sessions, we took the chance to enjoy the beauty of the Alps and further develop ideas during hikes. In the Breitach Gorge, we marveled at the power of natural fluid systems, where the water of a mountain stream carves its way deep into the Alpine rock, forming countless whirls. During our hike to the Walmendinger Horn, we also encountered water in various forms: clouds in the mountain panorama, the Schwarzbach river which was swollen due to rain, and the sweat on our foreheads during the ascent of the mountain, all of which will surely remain in our memories.

Inspired by the mountain air and stimulating conversations, we are excited to bring the results of the retreat back to our work in Darmstadt.

P.S.: For the mentioned ”Praktikum Digitalisierung", we are still looking for student assistants to support the teaching. For further information please access this link .