EUNICE Student Research Clubs for the transformation process of the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park

The EUNICE Student Research Clubs (SRC) are a challenge-based competition that offers students from the 10 EUNICE universities the opportunity to gain international experience by working together on a real-life challenge at ASG Spremberg and the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park (ISP). The theme of the challenge was the recruitment and retention of skilled labour for the ISP, which is developing an "Innovatorium" to support the transition from coal and lignite mining to sustainable energy production.

The call for applications was launched in September 2025 and a total of 81 students from a wide range of disciplines and nationalities were selected to participate. The students were divided into 16 teams and then met virtually for a month to develop concepts and strategies on how to meet the growing demand for skilled labour through the emergence of the ISP's Innovatorium.

The winning pitch was presented by Amanda Saliba (Karlstad University), Ripa Dash (University of Vaasa), Sessi Giovanni (Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France), Chandrakiran Reddy Kasireddy and Aneetta Bijoy (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg). The team presented an innovative approach to attracting and recruiting talent, their "ecosystem" for retaining and attracting talent and their ideas on the integration process of migrant workers that help to fulfil the requirements of the ISP Innovatorium. The winning club had a special feature worth mentioning: A student, mother of a 10-month-old child, showed remarkable commitment to the activity by coming to Cottbus with her small family and reconciling the programme on site with her role as a mother.

ASG representative Alexander Scharfenberg from the Economic Development and Settlement Management Department at ISP explained that the six presentations were really good, "but I had hoped to find an approach that could offer a fresh perspective on the topic and on what we had already considered in the organisation. In the end, the winning club impressed me with their creativity and ability to approach each question with a strategy to overcome the multiple challenges of the ISP transition process."

The onsite programme included a series of presentations and discussions between the students and ISP experts on topics of skills recruitment and retention, sustainable cities and communities, and the infrastructure needed to attract talented workers to rural areas. The programme was rounded off with cultural activities, including tours of Spremberg and visits to the ISP site and its companies. The highlight of the programme was a trip to the open-cast mine in Welzow, which was generously funded by the ASG.

The Student Research Clubs not only offered the students the unique opportunity to develop solutions to a real problem in an international and interdisciplinary team. The ASG and the ISP as industrial partners also benefited from the potential of the collaboration with the EUNICE students. "The three participants have different backgrounds and represent the different perspectives and needs of our potential future specialists. It was extremely valuable for our current internal company discussions to hear about their priorities in life and in relation to their future work. My colleagues and I were enthusiastic about the valuable exchange with the participants. It was an educational experience for both sides, as we realised that we not only need to recruit foreign professionals, but also take into account the local mentality and prepare locals for multicultural workplaces. We will definitely take these valuable insights into account when developing our corporate strategy," reports Alexander Scharfenberg.

Chandrakiran, a member of the winning team, would like future applicants to know that "The entire Student Research Clubs programme was excellent. It offered us students a great combination of education, industry and international networking. I highly recommend all students to participate."

The next run of Student Research Clubs is planned for spring 2026 - this time with a twist! Students can set up their own research club on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.