Celebrating 45 Years of Strategic Partnership: TU Darmstadt / Tongji Research Days 2025

On June 11–12, 2025, TU Darmstadt hosted the TU Darmstadt/Tongji Research Days to mark the 45th anniversary of its strategic partnership with Tongji University. A high-ranking delegation from Shanghai, led by Senate President Prof. FANG Shou’en, joined TU President Prof. Tanja Brühl and Vice President Prof. Jens Walther for two days of academic exchange and celebration.

The event included scientific workshops, lab visits, and a ceremonial gala, bringing together researchers from both institutions to share recent results and shape future collaboration. One of the core technical sessions—Smart Materials and Devices—was organized by Prof. Bai-Xiang Xu (Mechanics of Functional Materials, TU Darmstadt) and featured strong contributions from the Measurement and Sensor Technology Group (MUST).

Among the distinguished attendees were Prof. Gerhard M. Sessler und Prof. Heinz von Seggern, who have significantly influenced the field of electret and sensor research at TU Darmstadt. The participation of MUST also highlighted its long-standing collaboration with Tongji University researchers Prof. Xiaoqing Zhang and Prof. Xingchen Ma, with whom several joint projects and publications have been developed over recent years (Current project “Biodegradable”).

In the Smart Materials and Devices session, Prof. Xingchen Ma (Tongji University), a former visiting researcher at MUST, opened the technical program with her presentation “Biodegradable and Transparent Soft Piezoelectret Film for Sustainable Bioelectronics” (Publication). The talk highlighted innovative biodegradable piezoelectret films, developed in cooperation with MUST, designed for environmentally friendly biomedical sensing applications.

Dr. Sergey Zhukov followed with a presentation on “Highly Efficient Piezoelectrets through Ultrasoft Elastomeric Spacers” (Publication), co-authored with Prof. Heinz von Seggern. The project builds on TU Darmstadt’s long-standing expertise in polymer-based electret materials and presents a novel approach to improving performance through advanced spacer design.

Alexander A. Altmann concluded the session with his presentation “Additive Manufacturing of Ferroelectrets: Single-Step Integration into Multi-Material 3D Printed Structures, Fabrics, and Smart Systems” (Publikation), given in collaboration with Prof. Mario Kupnik. The talk introduced new methods for directly 3D printing ferroelectret structures into complex substrates – a topic recently featured in the conference at IEEE Sensors.

A historical connection was also recognized through Prof. Gerhard M. Sessler, who has served as Consulting Professor at Tongji University since 1980 and was instrumental in establishing its Department of Electroacoustics. His pioneering work on electret microphones continues to form a scientific foundation for current research in this field.

This year’s participation continues a strong tradition: in 2024, the MUST group had already taken part in the Workshop on Theory and Application of Flexible Electret Materials in Shanghai, further reinforcing research ties with Tongji collaborators (News article).

We sincerely thank all colleagues at Tongji University, especially Prof. Xiaoqing Zhang, Prof. Hongbin Zhang, Prof. Ying Zhao, and Prof. Menghao Yang, for their outstanding collaboration. Special appreciation goes to Prof. Sessler and Prof. von Seggern for their continued support and lasting contributions to our research environment.

Official coverage by TU Darmstadt: 45 Years of Strategic Partnership – TU News.