In October, nearly all CDT members gathered at the Experimenta Cube to look back and forward, to celebrate what has been achieved and to keep a firm eye on their own transformation. Professor Sebastian Müller, the current director of the center, reminisced about the early days: “The Start was bumpy. Without the commitment and the hard work of my predecessor as Center Director, Gudrun Kiesmüller, this rapid development would not have been possible.” Although Gudrun Kiesmüller could not join, her contributions were deeply acknowledged by all. “Gudrun Kiesmüller deserves our greatest thanks,” emphasized Müller.

Interdisciplinary cooperation

The other professors at the center are also very positive about the results. Jens Förderer, who started as the second professor at the center in 2019, was impressed by what can be achieved in five years. While David Wuttke called on all members of the center to work even more closely and across disciplines, Martin Meißner suggested a tongue-in-cheek new title for the center: The Center for Drastical Technological Change in the Next Five Years.

Today, the center brings together six professors and three research areas – data-driven decision-making, digital platforms and the impact of digital technologies on business. The CDT team is international and 50 per cent female – this diversity promotes innovative research results. The six professorships have also raised considerable funding. Jens Förderer, Professor of Innovation and Digitalization, for example, received a research grant of around one and a half million euros from the European Research Council (ERC) for his work on digital platforms.

Wide range of research

In the subsequent poster sessions, the postdoctoral researchers presented their current research fields and interim results. The spectrum ranged from the possible applications of augmented reality to the relationship between users and influencers in social media and the use of ChatGPT as a translator of complex financial tips into easy-to-understand language.

First work, then more fun. Experimenta opened its doors exclusively for the center team and their guests for the exhibition “KopfSachen” and then the restaurant for a celebratory dinner. To quote center manager Franziska Schmidt: “May the trains continue to find their station at our center from all internal and external directions, may we set the course towards  innovation and cooperation, and may our goals be full of success and new scientific findings.”