Three new professorships at the Faculties of Mathematics and Computer Science, Geosciences, Geoengineering and Mining and Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering will be filled from April: Professor Sven Groppe is appointed Professor of Artificial Intelligence and succeeds Professor Heinrich Jasper, Junior Professor Markus Uhlig succeeds Professor Wolfram Kudla with the Junior Professorship of Specialised Civil Engineering "Civil Engineering" and Professor Christian Kupsch now holds the Professorship of Measurement, Sensor and Embedded Systems following a successful tenure-track evaluation.
Before his appointment to Freiberg, computer science professor Sven Groppe taught at the University of Lübeck. He had been researching and teaching there as an adjunct professor and head of the Quantum and Intelligent Computing working group since 2019. With the professorship for Artificial Intelligence, Professor Groppe aims to further advance research in the field of artificial intelligence at TU Bergakademie Freiberg and anchor it within the university: "One focus of research will be so-called agentic AI, which not only generates answers or content on the basis of large language models (LLMs), but can also independently pursue goals, break down complex tasks into several steps, use tools, interact with external systems and act autonomously. Cutting-edge advances show the transition from experimental prototypes to production-ready systems." With quantum computing, the computer scientist is researching another highly topical field of research.
Two new research projects to start shortly
Two projects will soon be starting at the Chair of Artificial Intelligence at TU Bergakademie Freiberg: In the DFG-funded project "Application of large language models in archiving file systems", Professor Groppe and his team will research the application of agentic AI based on large language models in the archiving of file systems.
In the BMFTR-funded international project "Development of quantum graph neural networks for relational deep learning" (qRel), the researchers are developing quantum relational deep learning techniques to use quantum computing to use data from commercially widely used relational databases for product recommendations and customer behaviour modelling as well as for anomaly detection and increasing data quality.
The new professor is also keen on internationalisation: "I want to continue existing international collaborations with over 200 co-authors of scientific publications from 30 countries worldwide and gain new ones within the university and from the region."
Teaching AI and quantum computing
In teaching, the new professor has set himself the goal of integrating particularly cutting-edge topics into the courses at TU Bergakademie Freiberg: "In addition to agentic AI and quantum computing, these are the technologies of artificial intelligence including machine learning as well as big data and data management on newer platforms on the web, in the mobile sector and the Internet of Things. In the courses, I strive for an interactive discourse that, in addition to imparting pure knowledge, also encourages students to actively engage with and critically reflect on the content and thus also develop skills independent of the topics presented."
Whether road, railway or open-cast mining - no structures without specialised civil engineering
Markus Uhlig takes over the junior professorship for specialised civil engineering at the Institute of Mining and Specialised Civil Engineering. He completed his doctorate in geotechnics at TU Dresden, where he headed the soil mechanics laboratory. In taking up the junior professorship, the civil engineer will focus on topics relating to open-cast mining operations and their subsequent utilisation.
"One focus is on measuring the thermal conductivity in unconsolidated rock with grain sizes of all kinds. This topic is highly topical at the moment, as it is of enormous importance both for near-surface geothermal energy and even more so for the laying of underground cables (power lines). I also determine characteristic values for analyses of slope stability around open-cast mines for the evaluation of field tests and simulations for forecasting. This topic will also be of interest in Germany in the next decade, but probably far beyond, due to the closure of many opencast lignite mines and the associated flooding."
The new junior professor wants to strengthen teaching in a variety of ways: "In addition to geotechnics, which also includes specialised civil engineering, I will teach many other specialist areas such as traffic route construction or dam construction (which also includes hydraulic engineering). This means that Freiberg students can look forward to a broad spectrum in specialised civil engineering." However, he also wants to ensure that knowledge is imparted in a variety of ways: "Learning doesn't just take place in lectures or from books, but also digitally on your own computer (videos and research) and through small experiments. This also includes using engineering software and AI as tools."
Smart sensor systems: from data to information
Following a successful tenure-track evaluation, Professor Christian Kupsch will hold the Chair of Measurement, Sensor and Embedded Systems at Faculty 4 of TU Bergakademie Freiberg from April 2026. The professorship stands for system-orientated and interdisciplinary research at the interface of sensor technology, embedded systems and intelligent data evaluation: "A good measurement system doesn't just provide data, but the right information at the right time. This is exactly what we are working on with intelligent and energy-efficient sensor systems for applications ranging from technical processes to biomedical diagnostics. One example is ultrasound-based human-machine interfaces that enable gesture recognition and the intuitive control of robots," says Kupsch.
"A second focus of my research is high-frequency acoustic imaging and manipulation. These methods make processes visible on very small scales and, in some cases, can also be specifically influenced. There is great potential here - from testing microelectronic assemblies to biomedical applications and particle manipulation."
A particular feature of the professorship is its interdisciplinary and system-orientated focus. Different disciplines work together in research and teaching - from electrical engineering, computer science and mathematics to physics and mechanical engineering. This breadth also characterises the training of students: As Dean of Studies for the new degree programme "Smart Systems Engineering", Professor Kupsch is committed to offering a course that prepares students to understand and develop networked and intelligent technical systems holistically.
