Commissioner for Eastern Europe visits BTU project chesco

There they went to TESI - a new test stand that will be put into operation next year and can test entire electromechanical drive systems.

Minister of State Kaiser visited the chesco research factory in Cottbus-Dissenchen. From the President of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Prof. Gesine Grande, the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany learned how the state's only university of technologyis advancing the region's structural transformation into a centre of science. The BTU is now realising 15 of its own structural change projects. One of these is chesco, the centre where hybrid-electric and electric systems are to be researched. Elisabeth Kaiser found out about the current status with Lusatia representative Dr Klaus Freytag and visited the test facility for electrical system integrity, or TESI for short.

TESI tests the entire electromechanical drive system to ensure that it is electrically safe, robust and standard-compliant in the aviation context. TESI will be the first test bench to go into operation at the Dissenchen site in 2026. In the new chesco building on the site of the Lausitz Science Park (LSP), there will later be a total of eight test benches with TESI. This will create a test area for hybrid-electric drive systems and components in the aviation sector that is unique in Europe.

Minister of State Elisabeth Kaiser, Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany: "The ideas of the future are being developed in eastern Germany, and universities, research centres and companies are working closely together to achieve this. For example, the BTU in Cottbus and Senftenberg is researching exciting future issues in its numerous facilities and projects, such as the climate-neutral design of mobility in the development of innovative drive technologies. This is crucial for the economy, society and climate protection. I hope that decisive impetus for these important fields of research will continue to come from Lusatia in the future."

Prof. Gesine Grande, President of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: "Hybrid-electric drive research made in Cottbus has enormous potential for our science location. For the BTU, the test operation of TESI is another milestone in research profiling."

Prof. Georg Möhlenkamp, Scientific Director of chesco ZWE: "In the test area, we will be able to test hybrid-electric drive systems and their components under realistic operating conditions: From sea level to cruising altitude, from extreme temperatures, vibration, shock and fire to software and hardware scenarios. In this way, the high safety conditions of aviation can be guaranteed."

Heiko Witte, Manager of CHESCO GmbH, adds: "With our test area, we will cover all safety-relevant tests for sustainable aviation drives from a single source. Together with our certified quality management system for aviation, we are creating the ideal conditions for quickly and reliably transferring research results into industrial applications."

About chesco

We make green mobility happen - that is the mission of the Centre for Hybrid Electric Systems Cottbus (chesco). The chesco conducts research into hybrid-electric and electric drives for climate-neutral aviation and other mobility applications. The special thing about chesco is its unique facilities: the central pooling of research, production and testing expertise speeds up the development time of innovative drive technologies. All areas are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to develop, produce and test the function of prototypes and process chains in a single location. All processes are digitally networked.

chesco ZWE and CHESCO GmbH

The chesco ZWE (Central Scientific Centre) is responsible for the overarching research strategy. In addition to the university structures of chesco ZWE, CHESCO GmbH was founded in the second half of 2022. As a wholly owned subsidiary of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, it links scientific excellence with industrial application and realises application-oriented research projects in cooperation with companies and institutions. CHESCO GmbH has been certified according to DIN EN 9100 since May 2025 and thus also formally fulfils the highest international standards for Quality Management in the aviation industry.