Research
Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Kristin Hockauf
My Institution
University of Applied Sciences
My Position/Profession/Field of Study
Professorship for Smart Materials
The science state of Saxony is my home. Mittweida University is situated in the triangle of its three major cities with world-class cultural offerings. Here, I can seamlessly combine my dream profession as a scientist with life in my family of five. The conditions for balancing family and career are comparatively good, while Saxony's research landscape is particularly attractive for mechanical engineering and, specifically, materials engineering. The questions for my research come directly from the industry, and we find the answers here in Mittweida together with the companies. For instance, we are collaborating in an InnoTeam project with CEWUS Chemnitzer Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnik GmbH on an AI-assisted prediction for the outcome of weld bending tests funded by the Free State of Saxony and the EU. The project aims to optimize material and testing efforts, ultimately enabling resource-efficient testing. However, I am not just a researcher but, above all, an educator. It is always exciting and inspiring for me to see how immediate and practical teaching becomes when students, who often bring prior industry experience, introduce their ideas into the lectures. Together, we discuss approaches to solutions, often incorporating experiences from our current research.