Girls' Research Camp
How does a “smart home” actually work—and how does an idea become a smart device? At the 2023 Girls’ Research Camp, organized by HNU in collaboration with BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, high school students spent four days immersing themselves in the world of the Internet of Things. They programmed, experimented, and, at the same time, developed a passion for computer science and STEM subjects. The team of the Commissioner for the Equality of Women in Science and the Arts explains why initiatives like this are so important.
Nominated for the Bavarian-Swabian
Innovation Award Transfer 2026 of the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
This is the topic
At the 2023 HNU Girls’ Research Camp, HNU and BSH Hausgeräte GmbH collaborated to introduce female high school students to computer science topics in the fields of smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT) through hands-on activities. The goal of the program was to foster interest in STEM subjects through concrete application scenarios and to generate lasting enthusiasm for technology. Thanks to the close integration of business practice and university teaching, industrial IoT technology became tangible and could be experienced firsthand. At the same time, the research camp served as a practical model that can be adapted for training and talent development programs in STEM fields. Since 2025, the program has continued under the name “Girls’ @ HNU Summer Lab.”
The HNU team behind Girls' Research Camp
The cooperation partners
As part of the four-day program, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH first provided insights into the industrial use of sensors and actuators, as well as into innovation and product development processes in modern home appliance technology. The students then developed their own IoT project at the university: a smart plant watering system that can be controlled using sensors and pumps and monitored via a smartphone.
Interview with Intervie Prof. Dr. Dany Meyer, Prof. Dr. Erica Weilemann, and Magdalena Fremdling
[1] How would you describe your project in three key words?
Technologically exciting, practical, and up-to-date
Exclusively for girls
Sustainable
[2] What is special about your project?
In our project, girls can explore current technological topics that are used in industry and business in this or a similar way. We encourage them to develop their skills in STEM subjects.
And from a broader perspective: the participants are supported by knowledgeable female students, and the program leaders are female professors, so the participants have role models for every step of their potential careers. Within this framework, the participants come to realize that proficiency in technology has nothing to do with gender. They experience firsthand just how much fun technology can be and how strong they can be—both individually and as a team—in STEM fields.
[3] What does transfer mean to you?
Knowledge transfer means sharing our knowledge and experience with society. Transfer to the business and industrial sectors is just one aspect of this, but as a university, we also have a responsibility to society.
[4] What are you taking away from the project - professionally, but also personally?
It’s always inspiring to see what the participants are able to accomplish, how motivated and creative they are. It’s also inspiring to see how committed the students are and how thoughtful they are—they understand just how important it is to support girls and women.
