Full speed ahead with new project partner

Neubrandenburg, Greifswald March 17, 2023 – There has been a special moment at the Institute Center for Nutrition and Food Technology gGmbH (ZELT) in Neubrandenburg. Prof. Gerhard Wiegleb, one of the managing directors of the company Wi.Tec-Sensorik GmbH, Prof. Gerd Teschke, rector of Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Leif-Alexander Garbe, managing director of ZELT and one of the spokespersons of PHYSICS FOR FOOD, took a seat to seal their cooperation by signature.

From now on, they will work together intensively in the lead project PHYSICS FOR STORAGE & FOOD. The lead project, which is part of the WIR! alliance PHYSICS FOR FOOD, deals with plasma treatment in storage protection. Pest infestation and the spread of fungal spores in bulk materials are to be prevented. “We are pleased to have Wi.Tec as a strong partner at our side to be able to collect further important data for plasma treatment,” says project manager Sebastian Glaß. He added that the collaboration with the company had already begun during the first funding phase. The company from Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia) had supplied measurement technology, precisely tailored to the expectations and wishes of the scientists. The researchers benefit from a very good combination: Gerhard Wiegleb is a physicist, his son Sebastian an electronics engineer. That fits. While one knows the physical challenges, the other can implement the wishes technically.

“We only really got to know the project through our collaboration in the past. I was fascinated by the physical paths that were being taken,” explained Gerhard Wiegleb. As an entrepreneur, he said he wanted to be there when new opportunities opened up. “For us, it’s a market opportunity,” he added.

Prof. Leif-Alexander Garbe emphasized the partner’s commitment, even during the previous funding phase. That’s when the idea of further, and above all even more intensive, cooperation matured, he said, especially since the now new partner is very familiar with measurement and sensor technology. Valid data is now to be collected, which is important for future approval.

Prof. Gerd Teschke underlined the overall project and research work in Neubrandenburg. The university is pushing ahead with projects in which the results of research are transferred to the user sector. This is the ideal way for research results to find their way into everyday life. In addition, future topics are important with which young students can identify and with which they can also qualify in view of such projects as PHYSICS FOR FOOD.

Almost all lead projects of PHYSICS FOR FOOD have started their second phase of funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the subprojects PHYSICS FOR SEED TREATMENT, PHYSICS FOR CROPPING SYSTEMS and PHYSICS FOR STORAGE & FOOD, which have been concretized in terms of content and name, scientists continue to research innovative physical methods for the agricultural and food industries. In the summer, they will also continue for environmental technology. PHYSICS & ECOLOGY will further improve the treatment of waste and process water. In-depth analyses are to follow, and further data will be collected. In addition, the TRANSFER lead project is also to enter its second phase. This involves the approval of the physical technologies still being researched and their broad transfer to users.

Text: Z.E.L.T. / Images: INP/P.Druse