The master's seminar deals with selected topics from the areas of controlling, logistics and supply chain management.
Topics
Winter semester 2025/2026 - Digital twins
Contents
In the winter semester 2025/2026, the seminar will focus on a forward-looking question: Which digital twins should the University of Regensburg develop in order to measurably improve everyday student life and which attributes, functions and information sources should they be equipped with?
Digital twins are regarded as one of the key technologies in industry, urban planning and healthcare. They make it possible to digitally map physical processes and objects, analyse them in real time and optimise them in a targeted manner. But how can these concepts be transferred to the university context, especially with regard to the perspectives and needs of students?
The aim of the seminar is to develop the theoretical and conceptual foundations of digital twins, analyse existing definitions and fields of application and derive suitable approaches for the university context.
Seminar dates
- Introductory Events for New Students: Monday, 13 October 2025 from 8:15 to 09:45 in VG1.37.
- For further dates and organisational information please check GRPIS.
Enrolment
Registration deadline for the seminar is Wednesday, 15 October 2025.
The number of participants is limited to 15 persons.
Summer semester 2025 - CS3D
Contents
In the summer semester, the seminar is dedicated to analysing the new EU directive on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD, also known as CS3D). This directive obliges companies to systematically safeguard human rights and environmental standards along their global supply chains, identify risks, take measures and report regularly.
The aim of the seminar is to develop theoretical and conceptual solutions on how companies can adapt their procurement system in light of the CS3D requirements. Students select an industry of their choice (e.g. automotive, textiles, food, toys, electronics) and analyse which changes are necessary at the level of supplier selection, contract design, audits and control mechanisms.
In addition to the entrepreneurial perspective, a central focus is on the extent to which these changes actually lead to an improvement in the working and living conditions of people in the affected supply chains, for example through higher wages, better working conditions or less environmental pollution.
The seminar will result in a written seminar paper and a presentation in which proposals for the implementation of due diligence obligations and possible adjustments to the CS3D are critically reflected upon. The research questions are based on the aspects of responsibility, effectiveness and depth of implementation of the directive.
Winter semester 2024/2025 - Tolls in Europe
Contents
In the winter semester, the seminar is dedicated to the analysis and conceptual preparation of toll costs as a component of European transport costs.
Against the background of rising user charges for road infrastructure in Europe, the focus is on the question of how toll costs can be systematically and automatically incorporated into companies' transport calculations.
The aim of the seminar is to develop a data-based concept that makes it possible to automatically determine route-related toll costs for lorry freight transport between European regions. The students will develop use cases from business practice, define regional reference units and collect relevant data on routes, vehicle types and capacity utilisation. Based on this, a relational data model is designed that can communicate efficiently with external routing and toll services.
A particular focus is on optimising the query logic: as API queries are associated with high costs and computing times, the model is to be designed in such a way that it manages with as few queries as possible and at the same time remains robust in the face of changes to national toll regulations.
The result of the seminar is a database-supported solution and a final presentation. The students reflect on technical as well as economic and regulatory aspects of toll integration in European freight transport.
Summer semester 2024 - Dr?xlmaier
Contents
In the summer semester, an application-orientated seminar is held in cooperation with the automotive supplier DR?XLMAIER (DRX).
The focus is on critically analysing a specific value chain for a selected product and a specific customer of DRX - from the supplier to the factory and warehouse to the end customer. The aim is to assess the degree of sustainability of this chain from different perspectives and to identify possible potential for improvement.
The students develop their own questions on the structure, logic and resilience of the processes presented, which are presented at the beginning as part of a kick-off meeting at the Vilsbiburg site. The evaluation of the operational key figures is not carried out by the company itself, but is worked out independently in the seminar on the basis of comprehensible benchmarks.
On the basis of the information received and, if necessary, additional research and comparisons with similar companies, the students formulate well-founded proposals for the further development of the value chain. Particular attention is paid to the requirements that need to be created in order to actually realise the identified potential.
The seminar combines company-based practice with scientific analysis. It culminates in a presentation of the results to Dr?xlmaier and a written paper.
Offer cycle
every semester (winter and summer semester)
No seminar will be offered in summer semester 2026!
Notes
Please note the instructions for the preparation of academic work (external link, opens in a new window).
Master's thesis
If you would like to write your Master's thesis at our department, which we would like to invite you to do, we ask you to write your seminar paper with us beforehand.
