On 14 October 2026, the VDE university group at HTWK Leipzig unveiled the new virtual reality project laboratory for student research projects
In the presence of numerousstudents, project partners and guests from the worlds of research and industry, the VDE university group celebrated the opening of the new Virtual Reality (VR) project laboratory at the Faculty of Digital Transformation (FDIT) at HTWK Leipzig. The laboratory was established on the voluntary initiative of the university group of the Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (VDE), which was only founded at the end of 2025.
“We are delighted to be consciously integrating modern gaming technologies as an innovative tool into the student research landscape of our faculty,” emphasised Josepha Eliane Kahnt, Head of the VR Project Laboratory and visiting researcher at the FDIT, at the opening. “They offer enormous added value for academic practice, to which we simply must give greater weight and scope in our research.”
In his speech, Prof. Oliver Crönetz, Dean of the FDIT, thanked everyone involved in setting up the laboratory. Petra Welscher from the Agency for Innovation in Cybersecurity GmbH (Cyberagentur) then delivered a keynote speech on the forward-looking research project entitled ‘Research Platform for the Investigation of Disinformation in Virtual Reality (FoUnD-VR)’.
A look inside the VR project lab
During the Open Lab that followed, those present were given a glimpse of the newly created facilities. Students have access to five fully equipped technical workstations, which feature a 10 Gbps laboratory connection and a 5G network connection to an in-house base station. The equipment includes, amongst other things, VR/AR headsets from various manufacturers, smart glasses, haptic gloves and upper-mid-range systems. This provides ample scope for students’ own ideas and serves as a ‘technical playground’ for four key areas of application: visualisation, network analytics, robotics & machine learning, and wireless communication.
The hardware was provided on loan by companies and research institutions, which in return submitted specific research questions. These can be addressed through student projects and dissertations. This model, based on mutual trust and strong networking, makes the laboratory a highly agile collaboration platform.
Student participation and independent research
As a temporary laboratory, initially open for one semester, the focus is on personal initiative and self-directed research. Here, students are given the opportunity to carry out their own research in the form of practical projects and final-year dissertations. Thanks to a wide range of cooperating compulsory-elective modules, it is also possible to have the work carried out in the project laboratory recognised as credits – for which independent and proactive coordination with the relevant academic departments is required. Fourteen interdisciplinary research projects involving nine HTWK and external project partners are already underway and were presented in the form of posters at the opening.
Students are invited to network across campuses and to use the lab as an active space for work and learning. Students from all degree programmes with an enthusiasm for technology can contribute their own ideas or volunteer within the university group – for example, by taking on coordinating roles, engaging in networking, or collaborating with existing industry partners.
Background information on the VDE
The VDE – Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies – is one of Europe’s largest technical and scientific associations, with 36,000 members. The purpose of the VDE regional association is to bring together individuals and organisations working in its area within the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, information technology or related professions.
Do you want to help shape things, tinker around, or do you have any questions?
Join the VDE University Group in Leipzig and contribute your ideas to the VR Project Lab!
HTWK Leipzig
, Faculty of Digital Transformation
, Zschochersche Straße 69, 04229 Leipzig
hsg.leipzig(at)vde-youngnet(dot)de
