STEM project day at the Technische Universität Ilmenau
Ilmenau, Germany, February 27, 2026 – “Students dive into the world of inventors” this was the motto of a special STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) project day for students in grades 11 and 12 at the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erfurt at the Technische Universität Ilmenau (TU Ilmenau). On February 26, 2026, 12 students who are also students in specialized STEM classes explored how inventions are created and why studying and pursuing a career in the STEM disciplines offer exciting future prospects. They were inspired by the patron of the project day, Karlheinz Brandenburg, senior professor at the Technische Universität (TU) Ilmenau and co-inventor of the mp3 format for compressing audio signals, which has taken the world by storm. The project day was initiated and supported by the European Patent Office and its European Inventor Network and took place in the media lab of the TU Ilmenau.
How is an invention created—and what does it take to pursue a career in technology? At the end of a very special project day at the TU Ilmenau, the students from Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erfurt knew the answers.
Inspiration from mp3 co-inventor Karlheinz Brandenburg
It is rare for an invention from Germany to conquer the world. In the case of audio signal compression, this has been achieved: mp3 is now known around the world. Karlheinz Brandenburg, co-inventor of this groundbreaking technology, shared the students insight into his work on audio coding and his longstanding research career at TU Ilmenau. He conducted research at the TU Ilmenau for many years and founded Brandenburg Labs in 2019, which develops technologies for immersive sound over headphones. He explained how curiosity, persistence, and interdisciplinary thinking are essential for innovation.
Guided tours of research laboratories – technology you can touch … and hear
Following the inspiring talk by Professor Brandenburg, the students experienced an impressive demonstration of Deep Dive Audio, an advanced audio technology from Brandenburg Labs that reproduces virtual sound sources through headphones so realistically that they are almost indistinguishable from real sound sources. The group took guided tours through several research facilities at TU Ilmenau, including the listening lab, the audio and video lab, as well as the new audio lab at TU Ilmenau.
At the end of the project day, the students had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on ‘build your own theremin’ activity, assembling and playing their own sensor-based Theremin while learning the basics of electronics and sound design.
The event was organized on the initiative of the European Patent Office and its European In-ventor Network, which aims to inspire children and young people to take an interest in STEM subjects and encourage their entrepreneurial thinking through such initiatives. In 2006, Karlheinz Brandenburg was nominated for Inventor of the Year in the Lifetime Achievement category and is therefore a member of the network.