The Centre for Structural Change and Regional Development (ZeStuR) began its work in November 2025. It is based at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and is funded by the federal government with 16 million euros under the Structural Strengthening Act.

ZeStuR investigates how economic and social structural change can be successfully achieved in Lusatia and other regions undergoing structural change – and how politics, business and civil society can shape this process successfully. To this end, ZeStuR brings together social sciences, economics and planning sciences, which work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary manner and transdisciplinarily with local stakeholders.

The centre comprises five thematic areas as well as a cross-cutting project that links the participating academic disciplines. 

At the heart of the collaboration with partners from the field is the co-creative transfer platform. It organises various regular events in which public administration, politics, associations, businesses, civil society and research work together to find solutions. In addition to the Lusatian Transformation Council, the ‘Zukunftsschmiede Lausitz’ (Lusatian Future Forge) provides an open forum for all interested parties.