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ESF junior research group STARDUST at HTWK Leipzig develops innovative solutions
The new ESF junior research group STARDUST was launched on November 1, 2025, at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig). The aim of the three-year project is to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saxony through innovative approaches in the areas of organizational resilience and digital sovereignty. The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Free State of Saxony. The acronym STARDUST stands for “strong organizational resilience and digital sovereignty of the Saxon economy.”
Practical solutions for Saxony
Saxony's economy is characterized by a strong SME sector: SMEs employ around 72 percent of the workforce and generate more than half of the region's added value. However, SMEs are particularly vulnerable to external shocks and skills shortages. This is where STARDUST comes in: through close cooperation with companies, chambers, and associations such as the Leipzig Chamber of Crafts, the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the Saxony Entrepreneurs' Association, the research results are directly transferred into practice. The interdisciplinary team of young researchers, consisting mainly of graduates from HTWK Leipzig, not only has technical expertise but also entrepreneurial experience. Over the next three years, they will develop concrete solutions for Saxon SMEs that are designed to increase digital sovereignty through self-determined use of technology, strengthen organizational resilience through flexible structures and innovative methods, promote sustainable business models, and ensure competitiveness.
The ESF junior research group is specifically addressing five organizational, technological, and socio-technical problems. These are: (1) heterogeneous and volatile data landscapes and limited resources, (2) lack of digital self-determination, (3) deficits in information processing and decision-making, (4) organizational barriers to the introduction of new technologies, and (5) barriers to innovation and lack of networks.
“SMEs face the dual challenge of transforming themselves digitally while at the same time positioning themselves to be resilient to crises. With STARDUST, we are developing practical solutions that strengthen precisely these capabilities – in a way that makes them directly applicable to Saxon companies,” says Prof. Dr. Holger Müller, head of the research group and holder of the Chair of Business Administration and Supply Chain Management at HTWK Leipzig.
"HTWK Leipzig is committed to promoting young talent. STARDUST is now the 13th ESF junior research group to start, conducting interdisciplinary and applied research and paving the way for young scientists to obtain interdisciplinary qualifications and pursue a doctorate. In addition, the practical goal is to ensure the long-term competitiveness of Saxony's SMEs: The results of STARTDUST will be bundled in a learning and demonstration laboratory and made available to the Saxony economy after the end of the project," said Prof. Dr. Faouzi Derbel, Vice Rector for Research and Sustainability at HTWK Leipzig.
The young researchers at STARDUST
Lena Fahry studied business administration at HTWK Leipzig, where she earned her master's degree. In her thesis, she examined how artificial intelligence (AI) can help companies comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and sustainability reporting. Her research subtopic deals with the introduction of a swarm organization to support the implementation of AI.
Klara Lindner completed a master's degree in media informatics at HTWK Leipzig. Since 2022, she has been involved in the development of mobile and extended reality (XR) applications for small and medium-sized enterprises. She is investigating how AI-supported XR solutions can contribute as immersive technologies to strengthening the communication capabilities and resilience of SMEs.
Mohaymen Moradi Nasrabadi studied for a master's degree in architecture with a focus on data-driven design methods. He worked at the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Leipzig-Halle and in the Experimental Digital Laboratory for Architecture at HTWK Leipzig, where he developed digital tools to optimize the interfaces between planning and production in modular timber construction. He is now working on the promotion and implementation of open innovation strategies through AI-supported matching methods.
Liza Reichardt completed a master's degree in screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. She is co-founder of the social enterprise TrustBox, which develops AI solutions for conflict management and team dynamics. As a member of the STARDUST research group, she investigates how narrative approaches can support the use of open-source AI systems in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Anne Rübe studied business administration at HTWK Leipzig. She is dedicated to the research sub-topic of ESG data management along the supply chain for the sustainable strengthening of competitiveness. “ESG” stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance and refers to regulations for assessing the sustainable and ethical practices of companies.
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Holger Müller
HTWK Leipzig, Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Supply Chain Management
Tel.: +49 341 3076-6582
E-Mail: Holger.Mueller.SCM@htwk-leipzig.de
https://stardust.htwk-leipzig.de STARDUST website
The STARDUST junior research group team with supervising professors (from left): Mohaymen Moradi Nas ...
Source: Saskia Pramor
Copyright: HTWK Leipzig
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The STARDUST junior research group team with supervising professors (from left): Mohaymen Moradi Nas ...
Source: Saskia Pramor
Copyright: HTWK Leipzig
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