Benjamin Schwibs has been part of the ThEFI team at TU Ilmenau since September 2025. While his classmates applied for a place at university straight after leaving school, the high school graduate from Georg-Cantor-Gymnasium in Halle decided to do a Voluntary Year in Science, Technology and Sustainability (FJN) at TU Ilmenau - and immerse himself in the world of research.
The 18-year-old was already enthusiastic about scientific work at school and took part in the Jugend forscht competition and the Mathematics Olympiad, among others. Now he is gaining further insights into practical research work at the ThEFI under the direction of Prof. Dirk Westermann. The year is accompanied by seminars that address topics such as self-organization, future orientation and social commitment.
During his FJN, Benjamin Schwibs will pass through three stations at the ThEFI. Already in his first station in the Power Systems Group with Prof. Dirk Westermann, the high school graduate was able to gain a variety of impressions from current research fields of the energy transition: At the institute’s own MIGRO charging park , he analyzed the charging behavior of electric vehicles and investigated the aging behavior of organic photovoltaic modules. He also carried out measurements in the solar field, modeled electrical energy systems in the Real-Time Control Center (DGCC) and developed concepts on how complex energy transition topics can be clearly communicated with the help of virtual energy systems.
In January, he began work at his second station, in the field of power electronics and control under Prof. Albrecht Gensior. There, he is currently gaining experience in the development of electronic circuits. In this context, Benjamin Schwibs is closely involved in the activities to prepare a contribution to the Ilmenau Science Night.
In May, he will move on to his third placement in Prof. Tobias Reimann’s Industrial Electronics Group. The first few months have already helped the high school graduate with his study orientation:
I have been able to gain many insights into interesting research topics and get a clearer picture of what it means to study electrical engineering.
